


Login User, Book 2

by AlphaStarwell



Series: The Login User Series [2]
Category: ReBoot (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Other, System Watson Codec, Users in the Net, keytool, mainframe - Freeform, user
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-26 18:24:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 91
Words: 283,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12563452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaStarwell/pseuds/AlphaStarwell
Summary: This particular story is co-authored by VirTaAshi, as she is known on fanfiction.net and Deviantart. I'm unsure if she has an account here, but she deserves the credit for writing half. Either way, this is the continuation of Login User Book 1, where a young User gets trapped in the Net, ala Tron-style. This story has been on fanfiction.net for a long time, and I figured I would try posting it here too. I also have this work posted on one of my fanfiction accounts.





	1. Chapter 1

Metallic tendrils slithered throughout the control room of the Principal Office like snakes until they completely engulfed the area. The extensions covered the central control area like an infestation of weed-like vines.  
  
Several newly infected binomes stood to one side of the room with a freshly infected Phong; all of them were in a slight daze. In the corner near Megabyte stood the robotic form that held the “awakened” null that was Welman Matrix. The bot held the young boy, Enzo, restrained by grasping the youngster’s arms.  
  
“Dad--let me go!” Enzo grunted as he struggled against the bot’s grasp. “You can’t let him do this!”  
  
“I’m not,” the slightly warbled voice came from the null. Enzo froze and glanced up sharply in surprise. “But my body won’t do what I’m telling it to… it is infected!”  
  
Enzo stared in open-mouthed amazement. The green null still had the red markings of Hex’s work; perhaps that made him immune to Megabyte’s attempts to infect him. “Dad!” Enzo exclaimed. “You’re okay!”  
  
“So it would seem. But I can’t move…” The ‘face’ of the null almost exhibited regret and sadness, at least it gave off that vibe. Nulls were expressionless by nature, but Welman sometimes managed to make due with what he had. Perhaps with more time and practice he would master more expressions, or some equivalent. “I can’t control myself…”  
  
Enzo resumed his squirming and glared at the virus. “You won’t get away with this, Megabreath!” he yelled.   
  
“Oh,” Megabyte crooned as he casually examined his claws, “but I already have.” He brushed an imaginary blemish from his metallic, mutated chest with a brush of his hand.   
  
“You just wait ‘til Bob gets here! He and my big brother will kick your bitmap right back into the Web!” Enzo continued to squirm, trying to yank his arms free.  
  
Megabyte merely looked amused. It really was poetic irony that, in a way, the sprite who’d helped form his existence was now restraining the boy. He would use this to his advantage later, especially since it would be absolutely delicious to use the boy against his sister and her friends.  
  
“Oh, they are free to try,” Megabyte countered smugly. “It appears that all their attempts to stop me ultimately fail.” He began to tap a few keys on the control terminal with his long claws. “Your friends are ultimately predictable. Your Guardian refuses to delete anything, even that which he knows to be a threat.” He grinned smugly. “That is his weakness, and my advantage. One of many, actually.”  
  
“Bob will stop you!” Enzo persisted, ignoring his father’s attempt to shush him. “He’s a much better sprite than you’ll ever be! You’re nothing but a big bully--you’re not even half the sprite that your sister was!”  
  
“You’re trying to compare me to my random sister? My dear boy, I have received upgrades and additional modifications that, combined with my intellect, shall enable me to do things across the Net that none of you can even imagine.”  
  
Megabyte turned away from them as if he’d suddenly grown bored with the conversation. He had other things to do at the moment anyway; he would deal with them later. The virus made a simple gesture of his hand to the infected bot, giving it a silent order. It clamped a hand over the boy’s mouth to keep him silent. Only angry muffles of protest could be heard; Welman himself wisely chose to stay silent.  
  
The virus established access to the function that enabled system-wide announcements.   
  
“Attention,” Megabyte’s voice boomed throughout all of Mainframe, “as you are no doubt aware, the Principal Office is now under my complete control. You’re probably looking forward to one of my erudite speeches about me, Megaframe, the new Viral Dawn, et cetera et cetera. But I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint you. There is no grand scheme here. This is about revenge. Viruses are predatory by design. And it is time for me to follow my function. Prepare yourselves…” He sneered, “for the hunt.”  
  
Enzo let out another muffled grunt through the hand that remained clamped against his mouth. He even bit down on it, trying to make it let go. It only made his teeth hurt.  
  
Megabyte disabled the system-wide features, then turned his attention to his new minions. “Phong,” he commanded, “come over here.”  
  
The robot-like sprite shuddered, resisting the control. His coding now contained trace amounts of infection but, as an administrative program, he was not so easily influenced or affected. Only a Supervirus like Daemon had the power to truly infect read-only memory. This was the reason why Megabyte had been unable to simply infect him and make him give up information back in the time when “Megaframe” was his.  
  
“Bring him to me,” Megabyte ordered, indicating some of the binomes to come forward.  
  
The infected binomes grabbed Phong and began to push him toward the virus. He struggled against them but they held him firmly as they moved forward.   
  
They held him in place when they neared Megabyte. Phong’s dull bronze face was reddened with anger. “You won’t get away with this, virus!” Phong snapped, his entire form trembling with anger. He was also shaking off the tinges of infection, keeping it at bay. Megabyte’s ability to infect others was different than it had once been, for it had become more powerful. It was still not as potent or thorough as Daemon’s had been, though.  
  
Megabyte rolled his eyes. Did they always have to say that? It was becoming so cliché. “This won’t hurt a bit,” he said with an evil smile. He raised his hand and extended his claws, preparing to strike as Phong’s rail-like neck shortened, drawing his head closer to his body. The old sprite did not cower, he simply tried to make his head more difficult to slice off or pull off again.   
  
Megabyte savored the moment as he held his arm in the air, taking delight in Phong’s expression. There was fury on the wizened sprite’s face, but his eyes were laced with fear. Fear for the system, fear for his friends and everything he cared about. Phong’s self-sacrificing nature would simply make him suffer yet again.  
  
“I already know you won’t give me what I want willingly,” Megabyte said, “so we will do this hard way… again.” Phong flinched as the virus grabbed him roughly by the head, and prepared to slash at his neck with his claws--  
  
But then something happened:  
  
“ATTENTION: INCOMING FILE. ATTENTION: INCOMING FILE.” The System Announcement blared throughout the entire city.  
  
That was enough make Megabyte hesitate, stopping in mid-swing. “Well now, what is this?” He maintained his hold on Phong’s face, using his free hand to tap a control. A VidWindow appeared.  
  
“Report,” he spoke to one of his minions outside. The binome on the screen stared up at the golden-colored sky in transfixion for a moment, then snapped to attention. “What is going on out there?”  
  
“There appears to be a User Update in progress,” the binome replied, making a clumsy gesture somewhere between a wave and a salute.  
  
“I see,” Megabyte replied. Sometimes that could make things complicated, especially since the User would occasionally input new anti-viral defenses functions.  
  
He squeezed Phong’s face just enough to make the old sprite grunt in pain. “Looks like our fun will have to wait,” he said, and then tossed Phong aside like a rag doll. “Remain here,” he ordered his minions. “I am going to intercept that upgrade.”

0o0o0o0o0

Mouse tried one more time to input a password to access the control center, but the door refused to budge. She already knew that none of her regular access codes were going to work; Megabyte had changed them and locked everyone out. But part of her hoped that her intuition and skill as a hacker program would aid her.  
  
Nothing happened. “It’s just no good!” Mouse slammed her fist against the wall beside the panel.  
  
“Mouse,” AndrAIa said, holding her trident at the ready as she guarded the Hacker’s back, “we’ve got to find the others and come up with a plan!” She and Matrix had been through plenty of sticky situations in other systems, especially in games. But she knew from her experiences with Daemon that there were some things you couldn’t handle alone.  
  
Especially when it came to very powerful viruses.  
  
Mouse reluctantly backed away from the door. “Yeah, you’re right, Sugar. We’ve got to make sure Dot, Bob and the others are alright, and then--”  
  
That’s when they heard the System Announcement. “ATTENTION: INCOMING FILE. ATTENTION: INCOMING FILE.”  
  
The women exchanged glances.   
  
“Come on,” AndrAIa urged, “we gotta make sure that upgrade gets installed!”  
  
“But Megabyte has taken over the Principal Office!” Mouse protested as they began to run down one of the halls, side by side.  
  
“The User Update might help somehow,” AndrAIa said as they went. “Sometimes it contains anti-virus measures.”  
  
Mouse sighed. “Alright,” she relented. “We can at least make sure somebody gets there to install it. But after that, we deal with Megabyte.”  
  
The sprites proceeded down the corridor, taking a few twists and turns until they finally reached an exit. They scrambled to the top of the Principal Office just as the sky changed from gold to bright yellow. The update was about to arrive.  
  
A slim shadow passed over them, obscuring the bright light from above for a nano. “You ladies need a hand?” Ray Tracer appeared above them, hovering on his surf board.  
  
AndrAIa gave a little smile, then spoke in her best “take charge” voice. “Listen, you both should find Bob, Matrix and Dot,” she said. “I’ll stay here and make sure the update gets installed.”  
  
“We should use a VidWindow to contact them,” Mouse said, already in the process of calling one up.  
  
Within moments, they had two VidWindows up; one that showed Matrix and Bob, another that showed Dot, Hack and Slash.  
  
“Where are you?” Bob wanted to know. He and Matrix appeared to be somewhere inside the Principal Office.  
  
“We’re on the roof,” AndrAIa answered. “I’m going to stay here and make sure the update gets installed. I’m sending Mouse and Ray to rendezvous with you.”  
  
“That’s a good idea,” Dot nodded, “we should make a rendezvous point--”  
  
“How about the Infirmary on the lower level?” Matrix interjected.  
  
“Yes,” Bob agreed, “there’s a supply room near there where we can grab some gear.”  
  
“Okay then,” Dot nodded, pleased that they had all been organized. “Once we’re there I’ll tell you my plan.” Something about the way she said that suggested she had one in the works, but she hadn’t finished   
  
“Be careful, Dot,” Matrix said.  
  
“You too,” Dot said with feeling.  
  
The VidWindows winked out.  
  
“Good luck, Sugar,” Mouse said to AndrAIa. She threw out her Zip Board and it decompressed; she quickly stepped onto it.  
  
“Ray,” the Hacker said after a moment, “you stay here and watch after that update.” She gripped her katana tightly in her hand. “I’ll help Bob and the others.”  
  
“But, Mouse--”  
  
A white beam shot out of the sky and deposited a round cylinder on the rooftop, in the very center. The sky changed from yellow to gold, then resumed its normal sapphire blue hue.  
  
There was no more time to waste.  
  
“Go on, both of you!” Mouse urged. “I’ll be fine.”  
  
Ray sighed. “Alright, love,” he said, zipping downward and hopping off his surf board, landing lightly on the roof. He then took his surf board underneath his arm. “You be careful in there, ya hear?”  
  
Mouse gave him a half-grin as AndrAIa approached the cylinder and prepared for the descent into the Principal Office. Normally Phong should have been present for this, but the wizened old sprite had entrusted key individuals with important passwords to sensitive areas within the Principal Office.  
  
After all, everyone had learned since the Viral Wars and the Daemon Infection that neither Phong nor the Principal Office were invincible. In such cases where Phong was captured and the integrity of the Principal Office became compromised, someone else could now step in and do things if they needed to.   
  
“I always am,” Mouse said, grabbing the front of Ray’s shirt just enough to pull his face to hers; they exchanged a brief kiss.  
  
Then the female Hacker pulled away, and she was gone.  
  
“Come on,” AndrAIa called. “We’ve gotta get this update installed, now!”  
  
Ray nodded and moved toward the elevator--but he didn’t make it very far. Several infected binomes appeared on the rooftop, cutting him off from AndrAIa and surrounding him.  
  
AndrAIa cursed and readied her trident to help him, but Ray raised his hands and shook his head. “No, just go!” he called out. “I’ll keep them busy--just get that update installed!”  
  
AndrAIa hesitated--then she nodded. “Here, catch!” She matter-of-factly threw her trident in his direction; it hit one of the attacking binomes squarely in the back, causing the unfortunate program to fall.  
  
Ray all but flinched at the sight of it, even if he was grateful to have the aid of her weapon. The woman had excellent aim, though the barbed points only missed his surf board by centimeters. “Good luck!” was the last thing AndrAIa called out before she vanished down the elevator with the upgrade.  
  
“Right,” Ray muttered as he extracted the fork-like weapon from the binome. He made a gesture, and his surf board flew from his grasp and attacked the group of infected binomes that stood between him and the elevator. This knocked them over like bowling pins and prevented them from following AndrAIa.  
  
Ray made an aggressive swing with the trident that knocked a few binomes behind him off of their feet. A few other virals stepped back reflexively. Ray then jumped onto his surf board and took up a position just above the hollow shaft where the elevator had already descended.  
  
“Anyone else want to try something?” Ray asked in his best tough-guy imitation. He was no Matrix, but at least he had speed on his side.  
  
“Oh, I believe I do.”   
  
Ray didn’t even have time to turn his head; a pair of metallic tendrils came out of nowhere and penetrated his bitmap. He gasped and crumpled; he fell off of his Surf Board and landed next to the elevator shaft.


	2. Chapter 2

Welman Matrix grunted as he tried to fight the infection’s control, but it was no use. “Dad,” Enzo said, “what are we gonna do?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Welman sighed. “Wait,” he said after a moment, “I have an idea…”  
  
Enzo watched in amazement as the null began to squirm and expand. It seemed that Wellman was trying to squeeze out of the helmet; after a few moments he succeeded. He then latched onto the power source of the bot and began to drain its energy, as nulls normally did.  
  
“Whoa, dude, that is cool!” Enzo exclaimed with a grin, as the robot’s arms went limp. The boy pulled his arms free.  
  
This caught the attention of several infected binomes. “Enzo, run!” Phong cried out. He was still being held in place by a few virals.  
  
Enzo grabbed the green null, wincing as the contact with its skin began to drain energy from his hand. Just as his extremities began to go numb, he grabbed his red cap and plunked the null into it. “Don’t worry, Dad!” he said, “I’ll get us out of here!”  
  
Unfortunately there was only one door and it was locked. Several of the infected binomes came behind him.  
  
“Uh oh,” Enzo gulped. He then began to bang on the door with his free hand, for whatever good that did. “Hey!” he yelled. “Is anybody out there?!” He turned and pressed his back flat against the door; the binomes came up to him and grabbed him.  
  
“No!” Welman slithered out of the cap and curled around one of the binome’s arms like a leech; he began to drink in the energy from the infected program, just enough to lessen his energy levels and make him weak. The two other binomes who grabbed Enzo attempted to slap the null away as he touched them, but it was no use.  
  
After the binomes had fallen, Enzo took his Dad into his cap once again and looked around. “There’s gotta be some way out of here!”  
  
“Enzo!” Phong called out. “Use the secret passage!”  
  
“What secret passage?” Enzo asked.  
  
Phong managed to gather enough strength to wrench himself out of the grasp of the binomes who held him. He then raised his arms in an exaggerated fighting stance as he backed away from them.  
  
“Allow me,” Welman said, once again slithering out of the cap. Within moments, he had taken care of the remaining binomes by reducing them to a weakened state.  
  
“Alphanumeric, Dad is kicking their bitmaps!” Enzo enthused.  
  
Phong snatched the null between his long, spider-like digits and quickly dropped Welman back into Enzo’s cap. “Come with me, my child!” he urged, moving toward one of the walls. “The secret exit is right through here!” He spoke a password, and the door opened.  
  
“Oh cool,” was the last thing Enzo uttered before he followed Phong out of the control room and down the secret corridor.

0o0o0o0o0

Dot, Hack and Slash arrived at the rendezvous mere microseconds before Bob and Matrix showed up, followed by Mouse.  
  
“Where’s Ray?” Dot asked.  
  
“I left him with AndrAIa to help her look after the system update,” Mouse replied. “So, what’s the plan?”  
  
“That’s just what I was asking,” Hack said.  
  
“Oh yes, we were wondering the same thing,” Slash put in.  
  
“But I asked first!”  
  
“Yes you did--”  
  
“Both of you, shut up!” Matrix barked. The two robots shuddered and fell silent.  
  
“Look,” Dot said, “we need to find a way to get into the control center and defeat Megabyte before he can take over the system again!” Her lips pressed into a thin line and her hands clenched at her sides. Her thoughts were clear; she was not letting the system crash again, not if she could help it.  
  
Everyone else agreed with that sentiment. “Everybody take what you need from the supply locker,” Bob urged, inputting an access code to disable the function lock. It swung open at his command.  
  
Dot was the only one who took a weapon. After all, Bob had Glitch, Matrix had Gun, and Mouse had her katana. Dot was the only one who didn’t make a habit of carrying a standard weapon. “I guess this will do,” she said as she took a pistol from the locker.  
  
“Alright,” Bob said, “we still have access to a viral wipe command that the Guardians left with us after Daemon’s infection was cured. We should be able to cleanse Megabyte’s infection before it spreads.”  
  
“Good idea, we can try to use that,” Dot said.  
  
“But will it work?” Matrix was skeptical.   
  
“It’s worth a try…. If we can get to him,” Mouse said.  
  
“But will it delete Megabyte, too?” Matrix asked.  
  
Bob shot him a glance, his feelings clear on that. “I’d rather not delete him, just contain him and stop him from infecting the system,” the Guardian stated.  
  
“Bob, it’s not going to work!” Matrix growled. “You’ve got to see that. He’s too dangerous. He destroyed Mainframe once and he wants to do it again.” His digits clenched so tightly that the tendrils of his energy veins stood out. “We’ve got to delete him!”  
  
“No,” Bob shook his head. “I won’t accept that. Not until we have no other option!”  
  
Matrix grumbled something incoherent.  
  
“Stubborn as ever,” Mouse commented, giving a shake of her head.  
  
“Come on, we can use the secret entrance,” Dot urged. “We’ve got to help Enzo… and Dad!”  
  
“Right behind ya, Sugar,” Mouse commented as Dot began to sprint. The others followed her closely.

0o0o0o0o0o0

AndrAIa waited until the elevator finished its descent, then she carefully looked over the cylinder. She placed her hands on either side of the cover and inserted her fingers into the edges, wedging her digits deeper into it as she slowly pried it off.  
  
Once the cover was off she set it aside on the ground and leaned forward, looking into the container. A white glow emanated from deep within; the update was there, ready for the taking.  
  
She reached inside to grab the data when a voice spoke from behind her. “Allow me to help you with that, Sheila.” AndrAIa’s head snapped up; Ray was standing right behind her.  
  
“Oh, I didn’t see you there,” AndrAIa said, straightening. Ray stepped up beside her and lowered a hand into the container; each of them grunted a bit as they lifted the heavy object out of it.  
  
“I can take it from here,” Ray said, attempting to take it from her. “Don’t trouble yourself with it.”  
  
AndrAIa narrowed her eyes, looking a little suspicious. “Where’s my trident?” she asked warily.  
  
“Oh… I must have dropped that upstairs.”  
  
AndrAIa tugged back a bit on the update data block; it continued to shine brightly within their grasp. “The Ray I know wouldn’t be that careless,” she commented. “Not to mention…” Her eyelids flickered. “Where’s your surf board?”  
  
Ray’s eyebrows lowered over his goggles. “What are you saying?”  
  
“I’m saying I think you might be Megabyte.” AndrAIa gave a firm yank on the data block and then stamped her foot on Ray’s; she then allowed it to drop onto the floor behind her with a twist of her body.  
  
Blue spikes extended from her fingertips and she turned back to face “Ray”, just as he morphed into the ugly, mutated form that Megabyte had become. He grabbed her wrist before she could stab him with her claw-like nails.   
  
“How rude,” Megabyte said as he grabbed her other arm. “And here I thought we could do this the easy way.”  
  
AndrAIa twisted, bringing her leg up and sticking it between the virus’s legs; she slashed one of Megabyte’s ankles with the spines on the back of her leg. Megabyte snarled and faltered somewhat; this enabled the female sprite to yank one of her arms free.  
  
She stabbed her nails into his chest; they penetrated his bitmap and stayed there like blue darts. Megabyte grunted in discomfort and swerved a bit. He matter-of-factly knocked the woman across the room, sending her sprawling on the ground.  
  
“You are beginning to annoy me, girl,” Megabyte growled, and then he lifted his arm and a pair of metallic tendrils shot out of it. AndrAIa shifted and rolled out of the way just in time, allowing the tendrils to fly past her. One of them missed her backside by mere centimeters.  
  
Megabyte retracted them with a look of frustration. He took a step forward, corrected his aim, and tried again as AndrAIa stood.  
  
The female sprite leaped and sailed head over heels as the tendrils sang through the air where she had been a moment ago--and they penetrated the update data block.  
  
AndrAIa’s face dropped in an expression of horror. What was going to happen? Could Megabyte infect the update?  
  
Megabyte growled, tugging on his hand. The tendrils, however, held firm and refused to be dislodged; they appeared to be stuck inside the data block. Then the update began to glow bright white, and the light traveled along the tendrils.  
  
“No!” Megabyte exclaimed as the light touched his hand and traveled up his arm, then engulfed his chest. “What is happening to me?!” His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as his entire form began to glow.  
  
AndrAIa watched in mild fascination, unsure whether to be awed or horrified. She took a few careful steps forward, watching closely. She covered her eyes with her arm and looked away as the light became blindingly bright; in a brilliant flash that lit up the entire chamber, the virus simply vanished.  
  
When she opened her eyes again, she was alone. The data block had dimmed into a very mild, silvery glow. Then it, too, vanished.  
  
Another System Announcement sounded off: “FILE INSTALLATION COMPLETE. FILE INSTALLATION COMPLETE.”   
  
AndrAIa let out a breath of relief. Apparently her work here was done, and Megabyte had been taken care of by the User’s update.   
  
So it would seem, at least. But… was the virus truly gone for good…? She couldn’t worry about that now. She took one final look around the chamber and, once satisfied that she was alone, she sprinted back to the elevator and began to ride it back up to the roof. She had to make sure Ray and the others were okay.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Bob and the others came to a skidding halt when Enzo and Phong came running from the opposite direction, with Welman riding in Enzo’s cap.

“Enzo!” Dot rushed forward, stopping herself at the last nano from taking the boy into her arms. Now wasn’t the time for it, and she didn’t want to risk making him drop their father. “Are you alright?”  
  
“I’m okay, Dot!” the boy said. His face nearly split in half with a grin as he became ecstatic and talked faster. “You should have seen Dad in action! He was Alphanumeric, he was kicking their bitmaps! The way he protected me and Phong from those--”  
  
“Enzo,” Welman spoke from inside his cap, “there will be time for that later.”  
  
“Phong, are you okay?” Bob asked, looking at his friend with concern. “What happened?”  
  
“I am well, for the moment,” Phong said. “But Megabyte has left the control room, and I do not know where.”  
  
Matrix said, “Then we’ve got to find--”   
  
The system voice cut him off. “FILE INSTALLATION COMPLETE. FILE INSTALLATION COMPLETE.”  
  
A collective air of relief filled the corridor.  
  
“Sounds like AndrAIa and Ray did it,” Mouse said with a knowing smile. At least that had gone off without a hitch.  
  
“Now we’ve just gotta take care of Megabyte,” Matrix said, his voice just above a growl. He already had Gun in hand.  
  
“Not without a plan,” Dot spoke up, her processor already racing. “Okay,” she said after a moment. “Enzo, I want you to stay with Hack and Slash--get out of the Principal Office and go to the Diner.”  
  
“But Sis!” Enzo protested, “I wanna stay here and help!”  
  
“Out of the question!” Matrix said sternly. “You’ll just get in the way.”  
  
Enzo folded his arms. “This isn’t fair! You were my age when you started surviving the games!”  
  
“Enzo, we’ve been over this,” Bob reminded the boy. “You’re not Matrix, and you don’t have to be.”  
  
“I know, and I’m not!” Enzo said. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything!”  
  
“Enzo, I need you to look after Dad,” Dot said, charging the boy with a responsibility. “Take him to the Diner and make sure he stays safe.”  
  
The kid beamed as he accepted the responsibility. “Okay, Dot,” he said in a serious, business-like manner that mirrored hers. “I will.”  
  
“Now get going.” Dot gave him a one-armed hug. “Both of you,” she eyed Welman, “be safe.”   
  
Once Hack, Slash, Enzo and Welman were gone, the remaining sprites turned to face each other. “We should organize a search party,” Dot began, but a VidWindow cut her off before she could say anything else.  
  
AndrAIa’s pretty features filled the screen. “I got the update to the chamber and it installed itself,” she said. “I’m on the roof now--Ray needs help; he’s offline.”  
  
“Hang on, Honey.” Mouse was gone in a flash.  
  
“Have you seen any sign of Megabyte?” AndrAIa asked.  
  
“No, have you?” Dot wanted to know.  
  
“Yeah, I saw him down below--he was disguised as Ray,” AndrAIa answered. “But I think the update deleted him; he vanished as it installed. It must have been some kind of anti-viral update.”  
  
Matrix wasn’t so convinced. “I don’t buy it,” he said. “Megabyte’s never vanished because of a system update before.”  
  
“…It may be possible that the User’s update erased him,” Phong mused.  
  
“User? Erase?” Matrix snorted. “I doubt the User knows the meaning of the word.”  
  
“We’ll keep an eye out for him,” Dot said. “Come on, we’ve got to get back to the control room.”  
  
They headed back to the control room through the secret passageway; they found the offline binomes on the floor, and the metallic tendrils which had penetrated everything had withered; some of them were already beginning to fall off and disintegrate.  
  
Matrix yanked the remaining tendrils off of the terminals, crushing them and causing them to disintegrate into nothing. Bob moved from binome to binome, curing each one of any traces of viral infection with his icon. Dot, in the meantime, began to check over the systems within the control room.  
  
“Everything seems to be alright,” Dot was saying. “I’m running a scan on the new update.”  
  
“Let me see,” Phong said, leaning forward. He adjusted his spectacles as he looked at the readouts. There didn’t seem to be any problems or abnormalities; a few system patches seemed to be in affect which would reduce runtime errors and allow the system to run more smoothly. “Everything appears to be in order,” he said. “I see a few upgrades to the city’s defenses…”  
  
“But Megabyte could still be out there,” Matrix said. He refused to believe that any virus as powerful, intelligent and crafty as Megabyte could be gotten rid of so easily.  
  
The door opened; Mouse came in, heavily supporting Ray as the Surfer leaned against her. AndrAIa came in behind them, carrying the surf board. “I’ll be okay, love,” Ray murmured to Mouse.  
  
“I think ya should get scanned before you say that,” Mouse insisted.   
  
“I should be scanned as well--along with everyone else who has been infected,” Phong stated, casting a glance at the drained binomes whom Bob had cured. There were probably still more out there who needed to be taken care of.


	3. Chapter 3

Everyone remained quite busy over the next several seconds.   
  
Ray and Mouse mopped the streets of the remaining infected binomes and anyone who’d lost their PID addresses. Dot and Phong continued to work hard within the Principal Office, cleaning the place up and organizing repair crews. The building still sustained some damage from the first time Megabyte had taken it over, and now it had even more damage. It would take some time before the dome-shaped building was in perfect working order again.   
  
Wellman Matrix did his best to assist with repairs as well, at least while Enzo was at school. Once his robot body had been cleansed of infection he was more than happy to help.  
  
Matrix, on the other hand, was doing the last thing in the Net he thought he’d be doing… at AndrAIa’s coaxing.  
  
“You want me to take over Dot’s Diner?” Matrix blinked. “But AndrAIa--”  
  
“I’ve already talked to Dot about it,” AndrAIa interjected. “Look, Sparky, she needs someone to take over because she’s working full time at the Principal Office now.”  
  
“But why me?” Matrix grumbled.  
  
“Because you’d be great at it.” AndrAIa looped an arm around his. She drew closer to him. “I know you weren’t a half-bad cook when you tried your hand at it when we were kids.”  
  
“Heh. Well…”  
  
“Besides,” she added with a mild glare, “it will give you something to do that doesn’t involve asking the local law enforcement to shoot at you with live ammo.”  
  
“It was just a training exercise,” Matrix defended with a dismissive shrug. “You never know when Megabyte might--”  
  
“Matrix, it’s been five seconds and there’s been no sign of him.”  
  
He narrowed his eyes. “That doesn’t mean he won’t show up.” He glanced skyward. “Or if not him, something worse.”  
  
AndrAIa sighed. “Fine,” she relented, “but that doesn’t mean you have to spend all of your free time asking people to shoot at you or fighting in games.”  
  
“But we have to defend the system from games!”  
  
“You don’t have to go in every game. Bob can handle some of them.”  
  
Now it was Matrix’s turn to sigh. “Fine,” he said, knowing it did little good to argue when she got like this. She could be just as persistent as Dot. “I’ll tell Sis that I’ll take care of the Diner.”  
  
“Good.” AndrAIa pulled him close and kissed him. “I asked Cecil to give you updates on the newest fast foods and the compilation recipes. He’s waiting for you right now.”  
  
Matrix rolled his eyes. “Alphanumeric,” he muttered, falling back on his childhood phrase to express annoyance.   
  
“Come on.” AndrAIa took his arm into her own. “I’ll walk with you.”  
  
“Is this a date, or do you want to make sure I don’t take any side trips?” Matrix smirked at her, half-annoyed, half-amused.  
  
AndrAIa nestled against his shoulder as they walked. “Both,” she finally admitted.  
  
From that point on, Matrix could be seen at the Diner almost every second. It kept him off of the streets and away from live ammo. He’d even dropped the habit of carrying Gun around with him all the time, though he did keep it behind the counter within reach; just out of sight. With the aid of Cecil he learned his way around the kitchen and the food compliers, plus he’d updated his icon with a Diner’s uniform complete with an apron and a red and white striped shirt and pants.  
  
Cecil and Matrix continually got on each other’s nerves as Matrix took full charge of the Diner, but as long as they each performed their specific tasks and stayed out of each other’s way, they were fine.   
  
Dot stopped by one second to see how things were progressing; she strolled through the doors and sat upon a stool at the bar. Since she was the owner of the establishment, she didn’t wait for someone to seat her.  
  
“Hi, Dot,” Matrix greeted his sister. He stood behind the counter with a rag in hand; he appeared to be polishing the surface and cleaning up an energy shake spill. Sometimes the food products would move too quickly or get a little too energetic; messes occurred as a result.  
  
“Hi there, big brother,” Dot acknowledged with a smile.   
  
Matrix returned it with a small smile of his own. “Can I get you anything?”   
  
Dot couldn’t help but giggle; she pressed her hand against her lips. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I just never I’d see you--”  
  
“Behind the counter, wearing an apron?” Matrix snorted. “This was your idea.”  
  
“Well, it’s a good look on you.” Dot couldn’t quite suppress another chuckle; it escaped through her nose. Matrix scowled slightly; she couldn’t quite pass the noise off as a sneeze.   
  
“Ha ha… excuse me.” Dot coughed. She cleared her throat and regained her composure. There was something about seeing the big, muscular man in those diner clothes. Perhaps her easy access to giggles meant she had been working too hard.   
  
“So,” she said, “how’s it going here?”  
  
“Not too bad. The customers seem to like my cooking; some of them say I’ve spiced up the sausage spheres with extra energy spikes.”  
  
“Sounds spicy,” Dot commented, intrigued.  
  
“Yeah. I heard it sent one binome to the hospital because it nearly rearranged his digits.”  
  
“Well, just put a warning label on the menu,” Dot suggested, though it sounded more like an instruction. Despite how big and burly her brother had grown, sometimes she still slipped back into ‘big sister’ mode.  
  
“Already done.” Matrix jabbed his thumb behind him, at the menu just above him.  
  
“Well, that’s good.” Dot rested her elbows on the counter and leaned forward. “So how about an energy shake?”  
  
“For you? On the house.” Matrix took one out of the food compiler and handed it to her.  
  
“Perhaps you’re forgetting I still own this place,” Dot said with amusement. She gripped the cup firmly with an experienced hand; she knew how to handle the food products here from hours of experience. It squirmed a bit in her grasp but did not escape.   
  
“Yeah, but you did put me in charge,” Matrix pointed out with mild amusement.  
  
Dot took a long sip through the straw and sighed with contentment.  
  
“Does it meet your approval?” Matrix leaned on one elbow, discarding the cleaning rag.  
  
“It’s very good,” Dot said with a nod. “Just as good as the ones I used to make.”  
  
“So you just came by to sample my cooking,” Matrix teased lightly.  
  
Dot chuckled. “I had to make sure you wouldn’t drive the customers away,” she said in a light-hearted tone. “That’s bad for business.”  
  
After a moment, both of them sobered. “How are things going a the Principal Office?” Matrix finally asked.  
  
“Everyone is busy,” Dot answered. “There’s still no sign of Megabyte, and we’re almost finished removing all traces of his infection from the system and the people he infected…” She sighed and stared down at her shake, a forlorn expression on her face.  
  
“What is it?” Matrix asked.  
  
“It’s just…” Dot fiddled with her straw absent-mindedly. “I’ve been thinking about everything that’s happened.” She glanced up and gave her brother a meaningful look. “Sometimes I think I got used to it when things were… random,” she sighed. “I was constantly busy… I could always find something to do to just keep going and take my mind off things.”  
  
She inhaled deeply, as if fighting back emotion. “I don’t know how I kept going after I lost you,” she went on, her voice thick with feeling. “I’d lost Bob, and then I lost you, and then we lost the Principal Office…”  
  
“Hey, Sis, it’s okay.” Matrix took her hand into his, giving it a light squeeze. His hand was so much bigger than hers; it nearly engulfed her smaller, more slender hand. “It’s over now. You’ve got me, you’ve got Bob, and…” He grunted. “You even have your little brother back.”  
  
Dot smiled slightly, but her eyes still looked sad. “Yes, I do,” she whispered. She gave his hand a firm squeeze in return. “But there always seems to be something. Every time I think everything is settled, when I think I can finally be happy…”  
  
Matrix nodded in understanding. After Daemon infected the entire Net, everything had gone to the Recycling Bin. Bob himself had been forced to aid the Supervirus in infecting the rest of the Net, and it had taken a lecture from Matrix’s younger self to assert his own will enough to break free of the infection.   
  
Then after that… a second Bob had appeared. Someone who turned out to be Megabyte.   
  
Matrix scowled, then forced his mind back to the present. He knew exactly how his sister felt, what she was going through. Megabyte’s reappearance had obviously affected her on a far deeper level than even he had realized.   
  
No wonder his sister kept trying to keep herself busy at the Principal Office. She still had a hard time facing Bob, the real Bob, and now she lived in partial fear that Megabyte would pop up and try something again.   
  
“Look, we all gotta stop fighting sometime,” Matrix told her, echoing AndrAIa’s own words.  
  
“Every time I start to tell myself that… something else happens.” Dot glanced away.  
  
Matrix carefully hopped over the counter and took a seat in the stool beside her. He put a hand on her shoulder. “I know,” he said. “But… you love Bob, don’t you?”  
  
Dot blinked a few times, trying to prevent the tears from falling. She didn’t quite succeed; she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. “Yeah,” she admitted. Her voice sounded strained. “I do.”  
  
“Then why do you keep avoiding him?” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “He loves you, too. I can tell he’s just giving you space because he feels you need it, but…” He glanced away. He wasn’t big on heart-to-hearts, but his sister needed to hear this. “I can tell it hurts him as much as it hurts you, the way you’ve been avoiding him.”  
  
His words managed to sting Dot and touch her heart at the same time. Now a tear streamed freely down her cheek. She let it fall, grateful that there weren’t many patrons in the Diner at the moment. “He hasn’t said anything,” she defended weakly.  
  
“He’s been trying,” Matrix stated. “You just keep pushing him away.”  
  
“Well, everyone’s been so busy…”  
  
“Dot.” Matrix touched her chin, gently but firmly, and forced her to look at him. “Come on, this is me you’re talking to.” He knew emotional distance when he saw it; it was something that he and AndrAIa had had to deal with soon after they became lost in the Games. Both of them changed a great deal and he had established barriers within himself without realizing it.  
  
AndrAIa had been the only person who could penetrate those barriers for a long, long time. Even if she had to adjust to the changes in him, and the changes as both of them matured and grew into adults during their time in the games.   
  
He would not let Dot throw away her happiness when there was no reason to. “Bob is home, and you have your family again. Even Dad is back,” he said. “You gotta stop and look at everything good that’s happened in your life, too. You can’t work yourself to deletion or spend your time worrying about what might happen next.”  
  
“Yeah… I guess you’re right.” Dot closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She leaned against Matrix and he gave her a brotherly hug. “I just don’t know how much more I can take, if anything else happens.”  
  
“Don’t worry, Dot,” Matrix said firmly. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. And Bob is back; he’s not going anywhere either.” He held her tightly against him, as if his large arms could keep her and the city safe from everything.  
  
“Yeah…” Dot rested her head against his chest. The apron smelled funny and it was mildly stained, but she didn’t care. She could clean her bitmap off later. “No matter what happens, we always end up getting through it.”  
  
“That’s right, Sis. We Mainframers stick together.”  
  
Dot gave him a peck on the cheek. “Yes, we do,” she said sincerely. “Thank you, big brother.” She untangled herself from his arms and stood, moving toward the door.  
  
“Where ya going?”   
  
Dot stopped and half-turned in his direction. “I’m… gonna go talk to Bob.”

Matrix smiled and nodded as she left. He watched her go and then he turned back to the counter. He eyed the half-empty cup before him; Dot had forgotten her energy shake. He gave a slight shrug of one shoulder and took it in hand, taking a long sip. It certainly wasn’t the strongest drink he’d ever had in his life, but it was definitely the fastest. Even a small sip could make one feel energized enough to run ten circuits.  
  
“What is this--what do you think you are doing?!” Cecil’s voice cut into Matrix’s musing, causing the Renegade to purse his lips in irritation. “This is not the time for your lunch break, you still have things to do!”  
  
Matrix set the cup down quite firmly; not slamming it, but with enough pressure to convey his annoyance. “In case you haven’t noticed,” he said, “I’m running this place now. If I want to sit down for a nano, I will.” He took a long, drawn out sip from the cup until air sucked through the straw, indicating it was nearly empty.  
  
Cecil threw his arms up in apparent disgust. “Well, while you are sitting here on your ASCII’s being lazy, five more customers have come in!”  
  
“Then why don’t you serve them?”  
  
“This is your establishment, as you are so fond of pointing out!”  
  
Matrix stood, placing his fists on his hips. “Is that what this is about?” he asked. “You’re upset because Dot didn’t ask you to be in charge?”  
  
“Well…” Cecil’s voice faltered. “I have been waiting on this place for far longer than you ever have!”  
  
“From what I’ve seen, you don’t even do much work,” Matrix snapped, jabbing a finger at the service drone. “You only serve people when you feel like it, and you constantly ignore people you don’t like!” He folded his arms across his chest. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t fire you.”  
  
Cecil looked outraged and horrified. “Fire me?! You wouldn’t! You couldn’t!” he spluttered. “Dot would never--”  
  
“Dot is my sister and she’s left me in charge!”  
  
“But I have looked over this establishment ever since--”  
  
“How’s everything going in here?”  
  
Both Cecil and Matrix turned in unison; AndrAIa stood just inside the double doors, her hands on hips. When neither of them answered, the female sprite stepped forward and regarded them both with disapproval.  
  
“Have you both been arguing again?” AndrAIa stepped closer, almost between them. “And here I thought you settled your differences. What is it about this time?”   
  
She glared at them with just enough intensity that Matrix gazed downward and scuffed his shoe against the floor, much like he used to when he was younger when Dot scolded him. Cecil moved backward a couple of feet on his ceiling rail, coughing.  
  
“Well?” AndrAIa folded her arms.  
  
“Well--” Cecil cleared his throat.  
  
“Well,” Matrix grumbled, “I was sitting at the bar talking to Dot. And then--”  
  
“I let you and your sister have some privacy, that is the least I could do for her,” Cecil spoke up. “But then he--” He looked at AndrAIa and pointed at Matrix, “just continued to sit there after she left. We won’t get anything done if he continues to be lazy!”  
  
“I’m not the one being lazy,” Matrix said. “You’re the one who isn’t doing--”  
  
“Alright, that’s enough!” AndrAIa interjected with a ‘cut it out’ kind of gesture. “I think both of you should just get back to work… and I’ll help. Cecil,” she wagged a finger at him, “give a menu to each of the customers who just came in, and take their orders. Matrix and I will be ready to compile their food once you’ve done that.”   
  
“….Very well, Mademoiselle.” With that, Cecil moved away, grabbing a notepad and pen from the counter and making his rounds.  
  
AndrAIa touched Matrix’s arm. “Get behind the counter, Lover,” she urged him. “I’ll check the supplies in the back to make sure we aren’t running low.”  
  
“Who is in charge here, you or me?” Matrix asked.  
  
She smiled. “I’m just helping you out,” she winked, and then she vanished into the back.  
  
Matrix shook his head and went back behind the counter. More people were starting to come in through the doors for lunch; apparently it was going to be another busy afternoon. He was actually glad that AndrAIa had chosen to come in and help.


	4. Chapter 4

“So… how’s your food?”  
  
Dot smiled slightly as she glanced up from her meal. Bob sat across from her in the same booth, leaning back casually with one leg crossed over the other. Both of them were perfectly at ease, and even the Diner’s lights had been dimmed to enhance the romantic atmosphere.   
  
“It’s good, as always,” Dot answered, picking up a piece and putting it in her mouth. She had to do so carefully and she kept a hand on the container’s lid at all times. Otherwise it would try to run away. “Though I feel like I’m bragging whenever I say that,” she added with humility.  
  
“Why’s that?”  
  
“Because I created all of the food items here… or if I didn’t, I modified them.” She took a sip from her energy shake.  
  
“It just shows you did good work, if you like it as well,” Bob said with a smile. “It’s something to be proud of.”  
  
“Well, if you say so.” Dot smiled and gave a contented sigh as she leaned forward. She wore a snug-fitting evening dress that showed off her slender form tastefully.   
  
Bob had worn his usual outfit and, when he first spotted hers, his eyes had lingered on her accentuated curves before asking if he should have worn something for the occasion. Dot had simply said it didn’t matter; she’d simply felt like dressing up and letting her hair down for once.  
  
With Phong, Mouse and Ray managing things at the Principal Office, Matrix handling the Diner with Cecil and AndrAIa looking after Little Enzo and Frisket… this was the first second that Bob and Dot had had an evening to themselves for many seconds.   
  
“So,” Dot began after a long moment, “what did you want to talk about?”  
  
Bob seemed somewhat taken aback, as if a spotlight had just shown down on him from overheard. “Talk about? Uh… I thought you were the one who wanted to talk.” He cleared his throat sheepishly.  
  
“Oh, well… I kind of thought you wanted to talk about… us. Or uh, I guess I thought we should talk about us, and I thought you’d want to, too…” Dot’s voice faltered; she felt like she was babbling like an idiot.  
  
“Dot, hey, it’s okay,” Bob said, touching her hand. “Just… tell me what’s on your mind.”  
  
She looked at him, almost blushing slightly when she saw the intensity with which he looked at her. It was a look of deep caring, concern. Bob cared about everyone as was his nature; he’d even saved viruses whenever he could. But this look in his eyes right now…  
  
He never looked at anyone else like that.  
  
“Bob,” she murmured, cupping her hands around his and tightening her fingers around it. She held it firmly as her eyes bored into his, and their lips grew closer to one-another.  
  
“Yes?” Bob said softly; Dot could feel his breath on her face.  
  
“I… I love you so much.” She swallowed, but she did not break eye contact. “And I am so sorry I doubted you. I feel like… I gave up on you when you needed me most.”  
  
“Dot…” Bob stroked her cheek with his free hand; her face melted against his palm. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. What happened is in the past, and I’m here for you now.”  
  
She closed her eyes momentarily, feeling the warmth of his hand against her face.   
  
“You are so beautiful,” Bob whispered. The words seemed to escape his lips before he could stop them, but nevertheless they seemed like the perfect thing to say.  
  
Dot’s eyes opened. “Thank you,” she murmured with affection. Their lips drew closer together, then touched; they kissed.  
  
A soft hem-hem of a throat-clearing caused both of the sprites to break their kiss. Dot looked mildly annoyed at the VidWindow that had appeared right beside them. “What is it, Walter?” she asked the binome in a business-like manner.  
  
Now the binome looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Ma’am,” he replied with a tip of his spherical head-body. “But the Bloody Mare has just entered the System and docked at a port on the edge of the City. The Crimson binome wishes to see you there at your earliest convenience.”  
  
“Alright,” Dot said with a nod. “Tell him I’ll be there in a few milliseconds.”  
  
“Will do,” Walter nodded again. “And, Miss Matrix…?”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Apparently there is a curious young sprite on the ship, someone that the crew picked up in the last system they were in.” Walters scratched his temple, as if puzzled himself. “The girl appears to be lost, and she has no icon.”  
  
Bob and Dot exchanged glances. Any program lacking an icon meant they also lacked a PID, which could mean a virus in disguise or that the sprite in question had suffered an unknown tragedy.  
  
“Thank you for letting me know,” Dot replied. “I’ll be there shortly.” She then terminated the VidWindow.  
  
“I think I should go along with you on this one,” Bob suggested, already standing.  
  
“Do you think there could be trouble?” Dot asked.  
  
“Either that or that sprite might need help,” Bob said. He frowned, his face growing serious as he felt a pain in the back of his head.  
  
“What is it, Bob?” Dot asked.  
  
“I don’t know,” Bob answered with a slight shrug. “Something doesn’t feel… normal.” He was already moving toward the door. “Come on, we should get over there.”  
  
Dot nodded, their romantic dinner already forgotten.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Alpha Starwell eventually woke from her deep slumber below deck. She had done her best to stay out of the way, even out of sight, during the entire voyage. Setting sail on a flying pirate ship through cyberspace was weird, though no more weird than getting picked up by random biker traveling in-between systems.  
  
Starwell wondered if this was what she had resorted to. Had she become so lost in this alien realm that she had become nothing more than a hitchhiker? You’re not a hitchhiker, she told herself firmly. Somebody paid for your passage, you have every right to be here.  
  
Would she get home someday, or would she spend the rest of her existence wandering from place to place?  
  
If she had been more of the adventurous type, or if her ability to get home was more assured somehow, she might have enjoyed all of this at least a bit better. How many people back home could say that they’d seen the things she had seen, or experienced the things she had experienced? Hell, part of her still wasn’t convinced that all of this wasn’t a dream.  
  
For the most part the pirates left her be. She’d heard all of their names at least once, but she didn’t bother to absorb the knowledge. She figured she wouldn’t be there all that long anyway.  
  
The only beings she could associate with their names were Captain Capacitor, his assistant Mr. Christopher, and of course the giant Princess… Oola, was it? Or Ooba? Okay so maybe she didn’t remember her name. Starwell simply stayed well away from the Princess because she was huge and scared the pants off of the young User.  
  
Starwell snapped to attention when she heard someone shouting. Apparently they had arrived at their next destination, a system called Mainframe. She very slowly crawled out of her hiding space (between two large barrels located behind an even larger crate) and slowly climbed the stairs to the upper level.  
  
Captain Capacitor peered through a telescope across a purplish-blue substance that extended in all directions. By now, Starwell knew that that was an energy sea, something that every system had apparently. “Prepare for deceleration!” he called out. “Bring us to the docks and lower the sails! We’ll be in Mainframe within the millisecond!”  
  
Gizmo chirped on Starwell’s arm, making a sound for the first time in a while. The girl grimaced at it; she didn’t want anyone to notice she was on the deck yet.  
  
“Ah, there ye be, young lass,” Captain Capacitor said, turning to look at her. “As ye probably heard, we will be there shortly.”  
  
“Yeah, I heard,” Starwell nodded warily.  
  
“Is something the matter, Miss Starwell?”  
  
“No. Yes. Well…”  
  
“Captain,” someone interrupted, “I’ve spoken with Mr. Walter in Mainframe. It seems that Dot Matrix and Guardian Bob will meet us at the docks.”  
  
“Very good, Mr. Christopher!” Capacitor enthused. “It be far too long since I’ve seen our friends. Now,” he turned back to the girl, “don’t ye worry, lass. Whatever yer troubles may be I’m sure that they can assist you.”  
  
“Are you sure?” Starwell asked. Mainframe was the third system she had been to so far, and she’d met plenty of unfriendly people.  
  
“I would stake my very Code upon it,” Capacitor said with a knowing smile.  
  
“Yeah, okay… wait a minute,” Starwell blinked, “did you say there’s a Guardian here?”  
  
“Why of course. Bob is a remarkable sprite; a true survivor. I guarantee that he can assist you, young Guardian.”  
  
“Why do you keep calling me a Guardian?” Starwell asked warily.   
  
“Ye have a Keytool as the Guardians do.” the Captain narrowed his eye at her. “If ye aren’t a Guardian, where did ye acquire it?”  
  
“Look, it doesn’t matter what I am,” Starwell replied a bit testily. Then her tone and expression softened. “I’m just trying to get home, that’s all.”  
  
“So ye have said.” Capacitor stroked his chin with his hook. “The reason I allowed ye aboard was because I sensed ye were you in trouble. I shan’t let it be said that I ignore a damsel in distress, and I don’t suppose I need to know ye business. But,” his expression turned serious, “once we dock at Mainframe, off ye go. You can tell ye troubles to Bob and Dot.”  
  
“Are you sure I can trust them?” Starwell asked warily.  
  
“Do ye trust me?”  
  
“…I don’t know yet,” Starwell admitted honestly, scuffing the toe of her boot against the wooden deck.  
  
“Ah.” Capacitor inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. “A fair answer, lass. We hardly have had time to become acquainted. Just know that my men and I have done all we can for ye; the rest is up to you and the people of this good city.”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” Starwell said with a little nod. “Um…. Thanks for everything.”  
  
A short time later they arrived at the docks. Once the vessel was secured and the engines were shut down, Captain Capacitor began barking orders. There was a rush of movement as several hands lowered the ramp and began to haul crates, boxes and barrels from the ship to the docks below.  
  
For a little while Starwell felt as though she’d been forgotten in the midst of the flurry of action. She leaned against the side of the ship and peered over, watching quietly as the cargo was unloaded, counted, and signed for below.  
  
A short time later, two sprites arrived on Zip Boards. Starwell’s eyes shot toward them; she had learned to be wary of newcomers during her time in the Net. Sometimes they could mean trouble.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dot left Bob’s company to speak with Captain Capacitor. Bob hovered above the ground on his zip board, glancing about. He saw the crew bringing their cargo down the ramp from the ship. When he glanced up at the ship…  
  
He spotted her. A young female sprite leaning against the edge of the ship. She wore a simple gray shirt with dark blue pants and a pair of silver boots. Bob was surprised.   
  
The Guardian floated up toward the ship, toward the young sprite. As he got closer he noticed her arm. A Keytool was attached, but it looked different… more so, it felt different. It was the same general shape and size of a regular Keytool, but there were a few small differences. There was something unNet-like about this Keytool, but the only logical reason he could see this girl own a Keytool is if she was a Guardian.  
  
What's a Guardian doing on the Saucy Mare? he wondered to himself. The Guardian protocol was that there was only one Guardian instituted within each system. The only exception was if the Prime Guardian himself chose to enter a system, or a Guardian had proper authorization codes from the Prime Guardian.  
  
The girl’s head snapped up when she noticed his approach. She pushed herself back from the side of the ship and took a few steps back.  
  
"H-hello?" she said tentatively, narrowing her eyes in his direction.  
  
“Hello yourself,” Bob greeted with a wave. Had the sprite not been so young he might have used a more official tone, but this situation didn’t seem to warrant it. He frowned slightly as he took note of her outfit. “Who are you?”  
  
“Um… I’m Alpha Starwell.” She tilted her head to one side, peering up at him. “Who are you?” She looked more than a little nervous.  
  
“I’m Guardian 452,” Bob said, starting with his official protocol. He placed a hand on his hip. “Why aren’t you in a Guardian uniform or armor?” he queried. Unless the young sprite had a unique fashion sense or someone had changed the Guardian uniform without informing him, this sprite was not dressed for the occasion.  
  
Then again, her bitmap truly did lack an icon…  
  
“Why does everyone keep saying I’m a Guardian?” the girl sighed.  
  
“Well, you have a Keytool.”  
  
“Yeah… I do.” Starwell pressed her lips into a thin line. She didn’t seem inclined to say much else.  
  
Before Bob could say anything, Glitch beeped at the strange Keytool. [State your designation,] was the approximate translation in the complex Keytool language.  
  
As a rule, only someone who was joined with a Keytool could understand it, and only their own Keytool. Anything that a different Keytool said sounded foreign to anyone who wasn’t bonded to that particular Keytool, even if they had a Keytool of their own.  
  
The only exception was the Prime Guardian; he could understand what all Keytools were saying. Bob knew this, as anyone who had a Keytool did.  
  
The Keytool on Starwell’s arm chirped. [Designation? Why, whatever do you mean?]  
  
[State your designation,] Glitch repeated.  
  
“Glitch…” Bob warned.  
  
“Hey, you have a Keytool,” Starwell observed with interest. She hadn’t seen one since… well, since she left Anna Code’s company. “What’s your Keytool saying?” she asked, somewhat curious.  
  
“He’s trying to figure out your Keytool, sorry about that,” Bob replied.  
  
[My name is Gizmo. What is yours?]  
  
[Designation: Rogue,] Glitch categorized.  
  
Gizmo was offended. [Rogue??] the Keytool squawked. [Rogue, huh? What is your designation, then?]  
  
[I am Glitch, assigned to Guardian 452.]  
  
[Assigned to a Guardian, you say? How interesting,] Gizmo replied haughtily. [I would have to say I surpass you in importance, then. It so happens that I am assigned to a U--]  
  
"Gizmo!" Starwell slapped her Keytool, instantly silencing it. "That's enough," she hissed through her teeth. The last thing she needed was for everyone in this new system to find out what she really was. Not until she determined whether or not she could trust these people, at least.  
  
The Keytool on her arm beeped a couple of times, and the girl took another step back and placed her hand over it. She looked as if she were afraid it might fly off, or that he might take it.   
  
Bob eyed her thoughtfully. Obviously the young Guardian--if that’s what she was--was possessive of her Keytool, although to say she was a full Guardian would have been pushing it. He knew a rookie when he saw one.  
  
Judging from the sprite's name, “Alpha Starwell”, she had a Tester Format. That was the only reason anyone had Alpha or Beta in their name. They were experimental programs. So that would explain the Keytool, and the lack of PID.  
  
“Well, would you like to see Mainframe?” Bob asked in a friendly tone. Perhaps if he spent more time with the young sprite he could learn more about her, especially if he could alleviate her fears and get her to loosen up.  
  
Starwell swallowed. "I'm not sure," she replied cautiously. "Is there anybody out there who's gonna try to kill me?" The question escaped her lips before she could stop herself.  
  
“Why would someone do that?” Bob blinked. Perhaps this sprite really had been through a trying ordeal.  
  
Starwell opened her mouth, and closed it quickly. How could she say anything? It was best to keep what she truly was to herself.  
  
"To tell you the truth," she allowed vaguely, "I've been to two other systems already. And I've run into trouble in both places."  
  
She indicated the ship around her. "That's why I came with Captain Capacitor and his crew. They were getting me out of a jam, and... the Captain said I'd be safe here, and..." She raised her shoulders bashfully. "He said maybe you guys could help me."  
  
Bob landed on the deck and stepped off of his zip board. “What do you need help in?”


	5. Chapter 5

For a moment the girl seemed uncomfortable with his approach, but she quickly relaxed. There was nothing threatening or aggressive about his stance, after all. "I just want to get back home," Starwell stated firmly. "I'm from very far away, and I don't belong here."  
  
“Have you tried returning with the crew?”  
  
"Well... they were already on their way here. I don't want to inconvenience anybody. I just need to get back home."  
  
“I’m sure we can help,” Bob said thoughtfully. “All we need is your system’s IP address.”  
  
"Okay," Starwell nodded. "I know that Gizmo has a copy of it. Um, is there somewhere we can go?" She still felt wary around the Guardian, but at least it seemed like he wasn't going to do anything to her.  
  
Besides, he gave off a very friendly vibe. Somehow, she already liked him, at least a little.  
  
“Well, can go to the Principal’s Office if you like,” Bob answered with a slight shrug. That did seem like the ideal course of action, especially since there he could ask Phong to run a thorough scan on her.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose." She shrugged. "I think I need to get off the ship anyway." She began to toward the ramp.  
  
"I can get you a zip board, it'd be easier,” Bob suggested as he walked alongside her.  
  
Starwell blinked at the unfamiliar terminology. "I'd rather walk, if that's okay," she said, already moving down the ramp. She had to be careful to avoid the crewmen as they continued to haul cargo. She nearly smacked her head against a large crate as she weaved between a pair of binomes.  
  
She let out a breath of relief as she reached the bottom of the ramp. "Look," she said to Bob, "I... I really don't know what to say anymore, but I made a terrible mistake."  
  
“What happened?” Bob asked. Something about the way she said that reminded him of Little Enzo, particularly when the young sprite was about to own up to a confession.  
  
“Well…” Starwell trailed off momentarily. As she and Bob walked alongside each other she stared at the ground, allowing her arms to swing freely.  
  
“Well, what?” Bob prompted after a moment.  
  
Again, the girl got that uncertain look about her. Could she trust him? Could she reveal that she was a… User? He might be able to help her more if she spilled the beans on that fact.  
  
“I um… played around with my Uncle Frank’s computer when I wasn’t supposed to,” she finally said, edging her way into the subject at hand.  
  
“What's a Cahm-Put-Or?” Bob asked, choosing to inquire about the odd terminology.  
  
Starwell stared at him for a moment, blinking. She looked as if she found it strange that he’d never heard that term before. "You don't know what a computer is?" she exclaimed, making an exasperated motion of her hands. "This is a computer!" She made a sweeping gesture with her arm, indicating everything around them. "At least I assume it is! Or… a system, or whatever you call it here,” she said thoughtfully.   
  
"Well, the only Cahm-Put-Or I know of is the Supercomputer," Bob scratched his head. Then again, he knew that different people from different cities might use different forms of terminology. Perhaps the term “Computer” was an abbreviated form of “Supercomputer”. But this wasn’t the time or the place to think about term origins; Dot would be better suited for that kind of thing anyway.   
  
“Uh, okay,” Starwell said, as if unsure how to respond to that. Then it seemed to dawn on her. “Oh my gosh… I’m in a Mainframe comp--system? That sounds pretty… big,” she remarked. “I bet it’s bigger than my Uncle’s system,” she mused out loud, as if to herself, “both inside and outside… at least maybe!”  
  
"So, your Uncle… is he the Command Dot Com of your system?" Bob unanimously decided that he didn't understand a thing about this sprite. A Tester Format or no.  
  
"Uh...." Starwell again looked uncertain, as if she’d been told a phrase she didn’t know how to process. It was as if there were some things she’d never heard before, or she was simply slow at recognizing.  
  
The girl compressed her lips and stared at him for a long moment, as if she wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it. Bob opened his mouth to say something, but Starwell spoke first.  
  
"My Uncle Frank owns his PC computer," she finally said, speaking very slowly and plainly as one would when trying to convey a high-processing idea to a low-processing program. "It's a desktop computer. You know, a system that runs programs and games, and my Uncle uses the computer so that he can use those programs. Sometimes he lets me play games as long as he's in the room with me."  
  
She paused a moment, then continued. “We use his computer by typing on the keyboard.” She held up her hands and mimicked the motion of typing with all ten of her fingers, then dropped her hands. “I guess Uncle Frank had been playing around with some kind of new device--a piece of hardware," she quickly clarified, “because I did something stupid and I got... changed, and pulled into his system. Then... I guess I ended up going through a portal heading out of his system... and somehow I ended up here.”  
  
Starwell stopped talking, licking her lips almost nervously. She stared off into the distance for a moment, as if looking at something far away only she could see.   
  
Bob's processor stopped for a few nanoseconds. His mind was stuck on a word. "You play games?" Bob was horrified, if a little, "You're allowed to play games?"  
  
The young sprite cocked her head to one side, looking at him as if that was one of the strangest reactions she’d ever received at the mention of games. "Of course I play games," she stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Who doesn't? They're fun and they're harmless. Well," she shrugged, "unless someone gets addicted to them or something I guess. But otherwise they're just fun ways to kill time."  
  
“You play games for Fun?!” Bob almost felt like he was talking to Little Enzo. "Don't you know what happens when a User wins? What if you lose? You would nullify everybody in a sector, including yourself!"  
  
Starwell's eyebrows shot up and she took a step backward. She appeared stunned by his reaction, giving the Guardian an even bigger idea about how little she understood. "Nullify? What?" Her forehead crinkled as her brows drew together. "I don't know what that means, but why should it matter whether the User wins or not?"  
  
Bob opened his mouth.   
  
He had experienced games. Back in the Guardian Academy, he went through simulation programs, and occasionally the real deal. In Mainframe, he knew the games. He went through all of them he could, if he could. He had seen the results of sectors that have been wiped out by Game Cubes. He'd seen the horrors that the User would inflict on Mainframer and game-sprite alike.  
  
He would have told the young sprite all these things.  
  
But as the Read Me file says, the worst possible thing happens at the worst possible moment.  
  
“WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME.”  
  
Bob and Starwell looked up as the sky darkened, becoming almost black. A hole seemed to open far above their heads as a long, purple cube that looked like liquid energy began its descent. By some sheer coincidence, it appeared to be moving straight toward them.  
  
“What is that?!” the girl exclaimed, raising her hand to shield her eyes. Lightening seemed to crackle around the cube as it continued.  
  
“It’s a game cube!” Bob exclaimed, somewhat puzzled as to why she would ask that. Didn’t she just say she had played games before? He moved toward her and gave her a light push. “Run that way,” he instructed her. “You’ve got to get out of the game cube’s path!” He knew that since she had no PID, she would probably go with the game if she got caught in it. The only ones who didn’t get taken by game cubes without an icon were Codemasters and viruses.  
  
There was a slim chance her Tester Format would preserve her within the system, but he didn’t want to test that.  
  
Starwell’s eyes flickered rapidly, as if she was trying to process what was happening and what was being told. Bob grabbed her shoulder and gave her a slight shake. “Run!” he told her again. “That way!” he pointed.  
  
She gave a squeak, and she finally became unfrozen and turned to run. Unfortunately the game was making a rapid descent; it was almost upon them.   
  
She only made it a few meters away when it touched down upon them. Some distance away from her, Bob nearly swore under his breath; he should have used Glitch push the girl out of the game’s path somehow.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
  
Starwell’s energy pulse quickened within her as her surroundings changed completely. For a moment she became frozen in place once again, unsure what had happened to her. Had she somehow been teleported out of Mainframe? Did that mean she was in a different system now, one that looked like a forest?  
  
She eyed the Keytool on her arm, though it remained silent. Somehow she doubted it was responsible.  
  
Everything had changed, literally. She gasped as a loud shriek sounded overheard; some kind of creature moved through the trees. It quickly vanished amidst the leaves and branches; whatever it was, she never saw it.  
  
Starwell took a hasty step forward, wanting to put some space between herself and whatever that had been. It was better to be safe than sorry, after all. The toe of her boot caught on the edge of a root and she went sprawling face-first against the ground.  
  
“Ugh,” she grunted as she pushed herself to her knees. “I think I’m smack in the middle of Mother Nature.”   
  
The Keytool on her arm chirped. [Starwell, this is a game. The first one we have had the good fortune to enter!]   
  
“Game…” Starwell blinked rapidly. She remained exactly where she was on the ground and slowly looked around. “Yeah… I heard the voice say something about a game…”   
  
The landscape around her was absolutely gorgeous, complete with a sunny sky, birds chirping, and trees stretching out in every direction. She supposed that whatever movement had rustled in the branches above her had been a bird, or perhaps a squirrel or two. At least she hoped that’s all it had been.  
  
“A game,” she said aloud to herself, as if trying to get that concept to sink in. She was really inside a game? Like the kind where you install and play as a character?  
  
If that was the case… was she supposed to play?

0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix stood in a clearing, examining his surroundings briefly. He had completed his shift at the diner and business had slowed to the point where Cecil could handle things. Matrix had been on his way to the docks to see Capacitor and assist the crew with the shipment when the system had announced an incoming game. Naturally, he headed straight for the cube before it finished its descent.   
  
He found himself in the middle of a forest, in the midst of some trees and bushes. His boot crushed a white flower as he took a tentative step forward; his movement startled a pair of birds from one of the nearby pushes. Their wings fluttered rapidly, sending a few feathers flying in his direction.  
  
One of the feathers landed on his boot. He picked it up and examined it, turning it over in his fingers. Sometimes such items could be used for ingredients in games, especially RPG-formats. But he normally didn’t get into that sort of thing unless absolutely necessary.  
  
He discarded the feather, simply grateful that the birds had not discarded something else onto his boot, as had happened in one game when he was a younger sprite.  
  
“ReBoot!” he said, tapping his icon with two fingers. He was momentarily engulfed in a bright flash of light, and when it faded he examined himself. He now wore heavy black armor, complete with a helmet that concealed his entire head. A long, sheathed sword hung from the side of his belt.  
  
He briefly made a note of Gun’s absence, but that didn’t mean anything; Gun would often change into another format while inside the game. He checked his form more carefully and found a short bow attached to his back armor. A quiver of arrows hung from a strap that draped over his shoulder.  
  
There it was. He took the bow in hand. That was Gun. He gave it a light squeeze and hefted it, getting a feeling for its weight and texture. It was one of the ways he got “into character”.  
  
Finally he began to move forward, eyeing his surroundings warily as he proceeded. He had seen games like this before and it didn’t take him long to recognize this type. Open-world, which had its advantages and disadvantages.  
  
But in truth, he hated games like this. There was no straightforward way to beat the User or end the game quickly. At times, games like this could take a long, long time to end.  
  
He gave a little shake of his head and proceeded.  
  
…That was when he heard a strange System Announcement within the game, one that made him pause in place for a long moment.  
  
It also caused him to curse under his breath.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Hannah/Starwell heard the System Announcement as well, and the words caused everything to click into place inside her mind:  
  
“Second User Identified," the feminine voice, announced, after some hesitation. It was as if the system had taken its time in registering this fact. "The second User has been accepted as Player Two, Alpha Starwell."   
  
“Player Two?” Her mouth formed the words, causing her to whisper the word. It just didn't seem possible. Was this how these people who lived inside the computer system perceived a game?   
  
Hannah blinked once or twice, then smiled a little. Did that mean she had been officially accepted into the game? Now all she had to do was play?  
  
Maybe this would be fun, to experience a game as if she was truly in it. It might be even better to experience this way; one could experience a game first-hand, and it would be far more real than virtual reality. Not that she had ever tried virtual reality, but she had definitely heard of it.  
  
Her temporary pleasure at the idea faded when she realized something. She had no idea what the heck she was doing, where she was going, or what she was supposed to do. What kind of game was this? Was it an action/adventure, or an RPG, or a mixture of the two, or... what? Worse yet, what if it was an online MMO or something?  
  
She decided she had nothing else better to do at the moment, so she began to trot along a winding dirt path, hoping it would eventually lead... somewhere.  
  
Part of her wondered where Bob was. Maybe he got out of the way of the game path in time... though somehow she doubted it. If she hadn’t been able to get out of the way of the cube quickly enough, he probably wouldn’t have either.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Bob stood in a field. Vivid green grass could be seen every direction from where he stood, spotted with the occasional white or yellow flower. The sky was clear blue except for an occasional cloud. A falcon cried overheard as it flew over, no doubt on a hunt.   
  
The game certainly had high quality graphics, he could give it that much. A gentle breeze rustled his hair slightly.  
  
He held his left arm to his face. "Glitch, stats!" The Keytool on his arm whirled, and he took a nano to glance over the data. "The Olden Pages?"  
  
The Olden Pages, or one of its series, had been used as a simulation back at the Guardian Academy in the Supercomputer. It was an example of an exploration game, and that made it difficult to find the User. But this kind of game, within consideration, did not nullify a sector upon departure. It was more of select nullification, depending how far the User got. And since there wasn't a Checkpoint or Lives count but Saves instead, that meant the User could exit when it wished.  
  
And that meant it was going to be a long game.  
  
Bob tapped his icon, on the left side of his chest, "ReBoot!" He was then engulfed in light. He came out, and wore bright metal armor. A sword on his side and a shield on his arm.  
  
"Well, it isn't my worst Reboot." Bob looked around, trying to decide where the User could be or would have gone.  
  
But--  
  
Then the System Voice made another announcement. "Second User Identified, The second User has been accepted as Player Two, Alpha Starwell."  
  
Bob froze. What? Did he just hear what he thought he heard?  
  
“Glitch,” he said, “scan for the User.” What he saw on the readout made him go bug-eyed. According to the game info there were two distinct Users being registered within the game. A quick double-check confirmed that it wasn’t two characters being controlled by a single User, it really was two Users.  
  
Somehow, Alpha Starwell had been identified and registered as a User inside this Game. It was a phenomena he had never heard of before, much less seen.  
  
How was this even possible?  
  
"This is bad,” he said. “This is very bad.” Not only did it confirm that the young sprite had gotten trapped in the game like he suspected, but the game might continue for as long as she remained active… even if the User Avatar was defeated or exited the game.  
  
“Glitch,” Bob drew his arm closer to his face, “scanner.” Glitch’s small screen revealed several blips on it, indicating forms of interest. One of the blips pinpointed the location of the “second User”. It seemed that Starwell was headed along one of the dirt paths.  
  
Bob began to move, grateful that the girl was sticking to a pathway; that would make it easier to catch up with her. As for the “second User” thing… he was beginning to theorize that Starwell had been programmed to emulate a User, most likely by the Guardians.  
  
But for what purpose? And how did it come to be that a Keytool had chosen her? These were questions he would need to ponder more later, when he had time to converse with the girl. Right now the priority was to find her and then focus on surviving the Game.  
  
He reached the dirt path and then began to pick up speed, running as quickly as he could.


	6. Chapter 6

It wasn’t long before Alpha Starwell came across the first signs of "life" she had seen, if one could really call it "life" inside a computer game. Then again, why not? To everything and everyone here... it moved and it thought at least to some degree, so it might as well have been "alive".  
  
That was something which Hannah was still having a hard time trying to accept, even if Starwell already had. How was it possible that so many strange things could exist inside a computer system, and yet no one on the outside knew anything about it? How could there be people that one could talk to?   
  
“Uncle Frank or somebody must have had an idea, or something,” she commented aloud to herself. “I was so stupid in thinking that thing in his office was a Kinect for PC or something. Instead it turned me into a computer sprite, and now I’m running around like a rogue warrior princess or something.”   
  
She gave a little laugh at the thought. Hannah was certain that this sort of thing might be what any kid, especially younger ones, would dream about. Being able to go into the realm of fantasy and run around like you were really there… which she was.  
  
As she continued along the path, she spotted some rabbits running and hopping along, all of whom sprinted in different directions upon her approach. She took a few more steps down the path and spotted a deer taking off. Part of her was disappointed; she almost wished she could just touch them, to see if their fur felt as real in here as it would outside the Net.  
  
That was when she realized that she had no armor and no weapons. This was probably the equivalent of when she started a game as a character who had little or nothing. You started out stupid and with no inventory, and then you grab stuff and build up experience points as you went. At least, that was how she liked to look at it.  
  
Did that mean she would grow physically stronger and more capable as she did more things throughout this process? Could she become a fierce warrior, like a superhuman inside this game? The thought intrigued her. It also creeped her out a little.   
  
Could I really change that much because I'm a real character in a game? she pondered.  
  
She didn't have time to think about it, however, for there were a small team of bandits just up ahead. They appeared to be standing near a caravan, perhaps one they had already plundered and pillaged. As if to confirm this assumption, Hannah could see the gruesome sight of several slain people on the ground next to the caravan, their bloodied corpses already attracting flies.  
  
And before she could get her wits about her, she had already been spotted. At least a couple of them began to dash toward her, their swords already drawn; one of them drew an arrow to his bow.  
  
Her eyes widened into saucers and her breath caught in her throat. Here she was, standing there like a deer caught in the headlights, wearing no armor and she had no weapon or shield.  
  
"Oh boy," she squeaked.  
  
An arrow struck one bandit in the throat, causing Hannah to gasp and flinch. Blood spurted from the neck as he fell; it was a grisly scene. The body didn't disappear or explode, as in other games, which meant a Lootable Corpse. That was a good thing inside a game, as it meant a possibility to obtain items and equipment… even if it was disgusting when you saw it happening right in front of you.  
  
The attack caused the bandits to switch targets. This gave Hannah a chance to look around and try to find her apparent savior. More arrows flew, killing another bandit. The last one was too close for arrows. While this wasn't the kind of game where someone could hack off pieces, the sword's blade did hit the neck of the last bandit.  
  
An arrow hit the attacker in the shoulder. He quickly lined a fresh arrow against his own bow, at the last attacking bandit, who went down with a gurgling cry.  
  
The Rescuer then turned in Starwell’s direction, and they looked at each other. Hannah’s eyes widened, feeling intimidated yet grateful at the same time; he had a menacing look about him, yet he had just saved her life.   
  
His armor looked heavy and solid. It was black in color, and the only thing that shown through his helmet was a glowing yellow eye.  
  
"I'll end this quickly, User." said the armor-clad man, and he pulled an arrow back on its string. The golden eye turned red with a distinct line of an M shape.  
  
Starwell's shock and surprise had gone from brief relief to horror. Time seemed to slow down as she watched the newcomer's hand draw an arrow across his bow, directing the tip at her as he took aim.  
  
The notion that she could get physically hurt here had already occurred to her after she had first spotted the bandits. This was something that never occurred in games she'd played before... because she had been physically outside the computer. Back in those days it didn't matter if the character she controlled got beat up, slashed, stabbed, shot, or kicked into Kingdom Come. Here, now, it did matter.  
  
She let out a little scream as she moved just in the nick of time, jumping and rolling head over heels as the arrow sang past her. A small part of her consciousness thought she heard her attacker curse as his arrow missed. She scrambled toward one of the fallen bodies, unsure what else to do, and she looted it. She didn't find much but she did get a medium sword and, better yet, a bronze shield.  
  
She held the sword close and held the shield out between herself and her new attacker, crouching down and trying to "hide" behind it as best she could. She had absolutely no experience in fighting, at least Hannah from the Real World didn't. Alpha Starwell, however, did have some rudimentary experience simply due to her presence in the game. Was it... sort of like instinct? Or just some basic programming that in-game Experience Points could build upon once she got more?  
  
"Just stay away from me, please," she exclaimed. "Please, I don't want to fight you." Hannah was pleading for her life and trying to avoid a fight. At the same time, deeper down, Starwell was feeling disgusted at those spoken words; she wanted to step up and engage the fight. Obviously, Hannah was still running the show to some extent; Alpha Starwell hadn't been fully accepted and integrated into her personality/being yet. Perhaps that meant part of her was still in denial, or still trying to get used to all of this crap.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix narrowed his eyes, never looking away from the User. Part of him had to admit that the User looked strange. But he had jumped games since he was a 1.0 Version sprite, he knew how this stuff worked.  
  
When this User looted the body, he knew it would be easy. No armor meant no major protection. He'd broken game rules before by using Gun in golf games, physically fighting, and occasionally, exploits. This would be an easy play.  
  
The User then begged for its life. Matrix had known Users to have the occasional line, usually programmed into the avatar itself. No matter how desperate, or angry or happy or even manic, the avatar was just a programmed tool. This was no exception.  
  
He rushed the User. In breaking the rules, he actually kicked the shield away, knocking the User aside. She screamed, holding one arm in front of her face as if that could deflect a blow. In a quick display, he pulled his sword and raised to strike.  
  
"Matrix! Stop!"  
  
"Bob?" His sword stopped in mid-air as he turned to look behind him; Bob was running in their direction.  
  
Hannah was terrified. Starwell, on the other hand, was outraged by the aggressive action and was prepared to assert herself more. Due to a combination of basic human survival instinct and the in-game programming that was permitted to her, Hannah/Starwell took advantage of Matrix's temporary distraction to snatch up her shield.   
  
If Hannah had been calmer, and if Starwell had not engaged into fight-mode, she might have simply rushed to Bob to stand behind him or demand to know how he knew this armored brute. Instead… she simply reacted impulsively.  
  
If a self-aware sprite could break the rules, so could a self-aware User character. She directed a kick at Matrix's shin and took a swipe at his chest with her sword. However, both attempts to attack him resulted in her bouncing off of his armor. She was, after all, attempting to go up against a heavily armored and fully experienced sprite; she was a novice human with the beginner's level of experience points, which meant a bare minimum of strength, stamina, and whatever else her character came with.  
  
In fact, the only reason she managed to get her sword blade anywhere near his chest was because he stumbled a bit on a root risen out of the ground--and he seemed to be eyeing something on her arm, almost distractedly. If he'd had the chance to get it together again and direct a punch at her, as it seemed he intended, she might have been out for the count.  
  
However, neither of them got a chance to move again, nor did Bob get a chance to speak or take action. The ground began to tremble and shake. This was followed by the sound of a thunderous roar.  
  
All of a sudden the three of them could see the form of an elf wizard running in their direction. What really caught their attention was the sight of what he was running from. An enormous golem was heading straight in their direction, apparently pursuing the elf.  
  
The device on Hannah/Starwell’s arm beeped, causing her to glance down at it briefly. She still didn’t understand much about the Keytool, but what she saw being displayed across it gave her the idea that it was good for information. It simply told her that "Player One" was approaching. This caused her to look again. Was that elf wizard the character that the outside User was playing?  
  
She didn't get to ponder the question long, however, because the golem acted. It grabbed a mighty boulder that was nearly twice the size of Matrix and, with a grunt of effort, threw it at the four of them. Apparently it wanted to try and take out all of its potential opponents at once, now that they were in the same general area.  
  
This caused the four of them to scatter, to an extent. Matrix and Bob took off to the right of the path while both Users bolted to the left. After a moment of indecision, the golem apparently decided to pursue the Mainframer sprites; it began to march off in their direction.  
  
Hannah/Starwell and the User avatar hid behind a large rock formation nearby, crouching into cover. Once they were both certain that the golem was not coming after them, they regarded each other almost curiously.   
  
"You don't have enough experience points to take that thing on either, do you?" Hannah asked breathlessly.   
  
This was the first time she had a chance to really get a good look at the User avatar. He was tall, slender and had long, lanky limbs, although his robes concealed most of his form. He had high cheek bones, a hawk-like nose, slanted eyebrows, and ears that were sharp and erect like knife blades.  
  
What she really noticed was the eyes. They were blank, soulless, almost... colorless, if she could go that far. Oh they had color, sort of a brownish-green, but there was the fact that they represented nothing. When she had looked into Bob's eyes at least she had seen... an intelligence, a self-awareness that could indicate a soul, or at least sentience. This was just a mindless puppet made of graphics and programming parameters being controlled by a human on the outside.  
  
That actually gave her an idea. Would it be possible for her to speak to whoever was playing this game? Maybe he or she could help her.  
  
"Hey," she said, looking directly into the avatar's eyes. From her own experience in gaming she knew that the "camera eye" was usually focused in whatever direction it was facing, so she assumed this was no different. "My name is Hannah, and I'm stuck in here. I'm human, just like you. Can you understand me?"  
  
There was absolutely no response, and no indication that he'd even heard her. Hannah wanted to kick herself for being such an idiot. How could she seriously expect this thing to respond to her? Even if the User on the outside understood her words, games weren't exactly made to talk to in-game characters, not through typing or anything else.  
  
Outside Users could only interact with in-game characters in a limited fashion. If there was a chat feature in the game it was there to talk/interact with other Users, not in-game sprites. Because... nobody had ever conceived of intelligent programs before.   
  
"Hey, can you understand me?" she demanded, raising her voice and waving her arms. She no longer expected the avatar to respond, but maybe somehow she could still get the attention of whoever was out there... for whatever good it did. "I'm human, just like you! I'm trapped in this game! Hello? Come on, give me some sign you understand me! Please!"  
  
The User avatar turned away and began to head off in a different direction--opposite of the way the golem had gone, of course.   
  
Hannah/Starwell began to pursue, but quickly changed her mind. Of course, it probably saw her as nothing more than a fellow game-character. Or even if it didn't, well... the User outside had no way to respond.   
  
The fact that the User hadn't done anything to attack her made it seem that maybe he or she recognized her as another player, (which meant the option of attacking may not have been available in the game programming) but... it was unclear whether he/she could understand Starwell or not. Perhaps when she spoke, the only thing that could be heard through the speakers (or whatever a Mainframe had) was in-game gibberish.  
  
Or was it possible the User had dismissed her as a glitch? There was no real indication that it had even seen her. Maybe she only appeared like a mirage to it.  
  
Hannah sighed heavily. Apparently she had three options now. Either follow the other User, or go see how Bob was doing (and risk another confrontation with Matrix, or worse, the golem) or strike it out on her own.  
  
She did want to see Bob again, especially since that was the only person she had established a dialogue with, and... he seemed friendly, or at least willing to talk. However... she also figured it might be a good idea to boost her own experience points, just so she would be better prepared for anything that may come.  
  
With that decision made, she continued along the path for a distance and, once she was certain it was safe, she took off into the forest. She was going to see what she could find.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

  
Bob and Matrix ran a short distance through the forest. They were attempting to make some headway from the golem, hoping to either lose it or put some space between it and them before they engaged it. The mighty stone creature was enormous and it had a lot of strength; it was best to stay out of its reach.   
  
"Why did you stop me?!" Matrix shouted as they ran.  
  
"Because you would have killed her!" Bob shouted back.  
  
A large boulder hit the ground nearby, which caused both sprites to move faster. Bits of loose dirt and rocks were thrown onto their backs.  
  
"She's a User, Bob! What else am I supposed to do?"  
  
"She isn't a User, Matrix. She has a Tester Format, likely she was assigned by the Guardians to emulate a User."  
  
"Where'd you get that idea!"  
  
"She has a Keytool! Its the only explanation I can figure out!"  
  
The two split apart for a moment. Matrix spun on his heel and fired arrows into the rock golem. They did minor damage. Bob threw a nearby rock. Since the game had a decent gravity engine and loose objects, he was able to do this without actually breaking game. This caught the golem's attention without damage.  
  
As the golem came close to Bob, Matrix came behind. He jumped on its back, and climbed it. The Golem struggled and squirmed to knock the climber off. Matrix stood on its shoulders, and stabbed down his with his blade. The golem fell instantly, causing the ground to shake as it hit face-first.   
  
Matrix was already off its back, having yanked and pulled his sword free as it had started to fall. He’d simply leaped off of it and rolled head over heads along the ground, coming to a stop in a half-crouch near Bob.  
  
"Fine, Tester Format," Matrix growled, drawing himself to his full height and sheathing his sword. He had noticed the Keytool on her arm; it had definitely been an odd sight on an avatar. "But she's considered a second User,” he pointed out, turning to face his friend. “What happens when she survives the game? She'll nullify everyone! And she has no icon, she'll go with the game anyway. Its her or us as far as I can tell!"  
  
"I've considered that, Matrix," said Bob, "But I'm not about to give up on her. I want to help her, and I want to find out why the Guardians would make a program like her."  
  
"... I don't like this," Matrix sighed, "I never liked these kind of games like this back when me and AndrAIa jumped games. Select nullification if you lose, and the best way to win is to out do and out wait the User."  
  
"I know," said Bob, "We've got to find Starwell. She says she's played games, but she said it was for fun. I don't know how much she really knows about them."  
  
The two nodded, and broke out running in a direction. Bob took a moment to check with Glitch; it looked like they were headed the right way.


	7. Chapter 7

Alpha Starwell proceeded through the forest at a modest pace. She continued her trek until she reached a cave, where she cautiously entered. Once she was satisfied that nothing was within, she plunked herself on the solid ground just inside. If nothing else, she was out of sight.  
  
She turned her attention to the Keytool on her arm. Even though it had been her constant companion for a while now, it still mystified her whenever she thought about it. It was nothing like anything she'd had in the real world before she got sucked into her Uncle's computer system.  
  
“Well, Gizmo,” she said aloud as she touched it gingerly, “why don’t you show me what you can do? Can you help me with this… game?”  
  
The Keytool chirped positively. Over the next little while she stared as information was provided to her, including a map of the area, the location of the other User (at least while he or she was still in range) and...  
  
What was this? She furrowed her brow, noticing some kind of command option. Yes, she could access the Main Menu of the game, which appeared in the form of a holographic window in front of her, emanating from the device.  
  
It had the options that any human User outside the computer system would have access to:

New Game  
Load Game  
Save Game  
Options  
Quit Game

"Huh," she uttered, staring curiously at the menu.. Apparently she still had the access and powers of an outside User after all. Maybe if she could get out of this game she could use this to her advantage, back in the Mainframe system. Just figure out how to hook into a few commands, or... whatever, and she could get back to her Uncle's system. Then maybe she could use this gizmo to get back out into the real world.  
  
A loud snarl caused her head to snap up. She didn't even have time to respond; a large wolf pounced on her, knocking her flat against the ground. She screamed, grabbing its throat as she tried to push it away as sharp, bared teeth threatened to snap her face off. Hot, heavy wolf breath smelled rancid against her cheeks and nose as she wrestled with it.  
  
She realized that she no longer had her sword; she had apparently dropped it when she had run from the golem. How stupid and careless could she possibly be? Starwell was appalled at her gaff, but still felt she did have an excuse; she was new here! She wasn’t used to fighting wild animals or mythical creatures, or being shot at by black-armored knights!  
  
She wrestled with the beast, feeling its claws pressing uncomfortably into her shoulders and chest as she focused on trying to keep its mouth away from her. If only she had a sword, or a knife--anything! "HELP!" she screamed.  
  
Gizmo shrieked in agitation. But it sensed others approaching, and Starwell was strong enough to keep the beast at bay, for the moment. The Keytool did give a sharp electrical jolt however, directed into the beast’s face. It yelped and whined shrilly, somewhat stunned, but it did not cease its attack. It snarled angrily, keeping the girl pinned down.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"HELP!" The high-pitched scream could be heard echoing through the forest. Bob and Matrix froze for a nano, glancing around. As Matrix attempted to pinpoint which way the scream originated from, Bob checked with Glitch again.  
  
"That way!" Bob pointed, and they began to move. They pushed forward, dashing through the forest and into the mouth of a cave. They found the young sprite, Starwell. A game sprite--a vicious wolf-- was on top of her. Matrix notched an arrow, and fired. It hit the game sprite in the head and penetrated its skull, all the way through. The game sprite turned and growled, the arrow tip sticking out between its eyes.  
  
"Uh oh," said Bob.  
  
The game sprite jumped away from the young sprite and it threatened attack. Matrix slung his bow around his back, and unsheathed his sword. Bob readied his own sword and shield.  
  
The wolf howled. A wave of blue came from it. Bob knew that sometimes game sprites could do more than just attack. They could leave an effect of fear, or even paralyze anyone. Sometimes they could cast spells, and sometimes one couldn’t fight an attacking game sprite but it could attack you.  
  
This blue wave did not produce an effect of fear or paralysis. But other howls came.  
  
"Bob, what did that just do?" asked Matrix, as he looked around for any on coming attackers.  
  
Bob checked his Keytool as Starwell scrambled to her feet, glancing in every direction with widened eyes.  
  
"Oh no." Bob's eyes widened, "Matrix, you remember Neighboring Cruel, right?"  
  
"What about it?"  
  
Growls were coming all around. Starwell gave a little squeak of apprehension, glancing about with widened eyes.  
  
"You remember how the game sprites could change and recompile data right?" Bob went on.  
  
"Yeah,” Matrix acknowledged.  
  
"Don't get bitten by that game sprite, or any of its friends."  
  
The wolf pounced, and Matrix impaled it with his sword, "Got it."  
  
It wasn't five nanos when yellow eyes started to visibly peer at the three sprites.  
  
Starwell let out a fearful shriek. However, she quickly began to pull herself together more as she steeled herself. She looked around the cave quickly, trying to find something, anything, she could use as a weapon.  
  
She was a self-aware User character within the game, after all. She could step outside the boundaries of normal in-game parameters, even to the point of breaking the rules. She was not limited to using the in-game weapons such as swords or arrows.  
  
She snatched up a long, sharp jagged rock from the ground, which seemed to be a fallen stalagmite. She gave it a quick, experimental swing. Her form responded positively to the action as very bit of the experience and in-game programming Starwell had (what little there was) kicked in.  
  
Regular humans outside the Net did not have programming. But having been accepted as a second User, the coding and instincts that a User avatar normally had had been input within her by default.  
  
One of the wolves nearest to her pounced. She ducked and rolled head over heels, allowing it to leap right over her. Both she and it whirled around to face each other at the same time, only it was a bit too slow; she caught it with her make-shift weapon, right in the chest between the front legs.  
  
It whined shrilly in pain, and then it collapsed.  
  
A second wolf knocked Starwell to the ground. She yelped as sharp teeth cut into her arm, but a kick of her legs caused it to loosen its grip. Then she thrust the end of her weapon into its skull, right between the eyes. This caused the stalagmite to break, crumbling into pieces in her hands.  
  
However, it seemed she wouldn't need it anyway; Bob and Matrix were making short work of the remaining wolves.  
  
Matrix moved like an armor-clad gorilla; he was like a humanoid tank. It wasn‘t long before he slaughtered the last wolf.  
  
To regular sprites or binaries who first entered games where the game sprite's corpses were left behind, it was far beyond disturbing. When a sprite or binary was deleted, they disappeared. What a game would call a death. But there were some games that left behind what is called a corpse. Normal death for sprites or binaries left behind nothing.  
  
Matrix and Bob were not comfortable with the scene they had created. Matrix didn't show his discomfort, though Bob had a forlorn look on his face.  
  
"Is everyone alright?" Bob finally asked. Matrix nodded.  
  
And then Bob turned to Starwell.  
  
"Are you-" he stopped, his eyes focusing on her sharply. It was as if he’d sensed something.  
  
"Bob, what's wrong?" asked Matrix. He looked at the younger sprite, "Bob..." Realization dawned on the Renegade.  
  
"You’ve been bitten, haven’t you?" Bob bent down on one knee near her, frowning slightly as he eyed her injury. There was no bleeding since she was a sprite, but there were puncture marks. A very soft, green glow had already begun to emanate from the deepest area of the wound.  
  
Starwell frowned up at Bob. Her eyes darted warily in Matrix’s direction for half a nano; she still wasn’t entirely comfortable around him. But it seemed clear that he wasn’t going to attack her, at least for the moment.   
  
She pushed herself to her feet and brushed herself off. "Yeah I was bitten, but it doesn't look that bad," she commented after glancing at her arm. She then did a slight double-take when she noticed the odd glow, but she quickly dismissed it. She felt fine, after all.  
  
Her nose wrinkled slightly at the sight of the dead animal bodies around her, but she had seen worse in some of the games she’d played. It didn’t really bother Hannah much when she thought of it that way… and Starwell had enough grit in her in-game programming to stomach it now. "Why? Am I gonna turn into a werewolf or something?"  
  
She snorted in amusement at the idea, yet she quickly sobered. Would it be possible for her to change or something while in this game? The thought spooked her.  
  
"You’re infected with Lycanthropy," Bob explained, rising. "I don't know what it will do to someone with a Tester Format. But I know what it does to normal sprites and binaries."  
  
He sheathed his sword, and sat on a nearby uprooted root, large enough to act like a chair, "A long time ago, around when I first entered Mainframe, a game cube came down. The game was Neighboring Cruel. See, in the game the User had to maneuver through this city full of zombies. The main purpose of the User was to survive the city, and save survivors, these game sprites that can get attacked by zombie game sprites.  
  
"But this game… it had a rare type of coding. The zombies would bite anyone, be it Mainframer, friendly game sprite or User. And each time, the victim would become like the zombies. Well, I and several others Rebooted as Mercenaries, and our objective was to hunt down the User and even the friendly game sprites. A lot of my friends were lost because of this coding. The game recompiled them as game sprites because of it. Only I and so few actually came out of it."  
  
Bob looked at Starwell. “I'm not sure how recompiling will work with you, but it'll happen.”  
  
The girl absorbed this information in silence. On her arm, Gizmo chirped softly as it ran a brief scan on her. This enabled the Keytool to confirm that the Guardian spoke the truth; she was infected and her form had become more integrated into the game because of it.  
  
“Oh boy…” Starwell licked her lips apprehensively.  
  
"...There is something else."  
  
Attention turned to Matrix. He had set his helmet aside and for the first time since Starwell had seen him, his face was no longer concealed. She couldn’t help but stare at his eyes; they were so… different. One of them looked fairly normal, but the other one was gold and metallic.   
  
A somewhat odd notion popped into Hannah’s mind. Was it possible that people in this world got gold eye replacements like some people used to get gold tooth replacements? Then again, that eye looked more like a mechanism than a mere chunk of metal.   
  
Matrix looked serious as he spoke. "When it comes to exploration games, like this, there's always something. Some cure or stop to the game recompiling. If we can find it, we won't have to worry. But the catch is..."  
  
"... Let me guess, we risk the User." Bob stood, "Well, it’s better than nothing." Both of them looked in Starwell’s direction.  
  
Starwell frowned. She didn't like the sound of this one bit. She eyed the Keytool on her arm again, contemplatively. Hadn’t she been able to access the Main Menu function before the attack started? Maybe if she could quit the game…  
  
Or would it be better to cure her illness first? She had no idea what would happen if she exited a game without attending to that. Perhaps it was better to be safe than sorry. She looked at Bob, and then she gave Matrix another wary glance.  
  
"Or if you guys want to go after the User, or... whatever," she said, already moving toward the cave mouth, "go ahead. I can do alright on my own."  
  
“Starwell, wait a nano,” Bob said, standing up. He started to follow her.  
  
She froze just outside the cave, and not just because of Bob. Who the hell was she kidding? She barely had any experience points and these guys had already saved her life... twice. "Actually," she said in a meek tone, "I'd rather stick with you guys."  
  
Bob smiled heartedly, giving a little nod of approval. “Good, I think it’s better if we stick together.”   
  
Behind him, Matrix grunted something incoherent. Starwell didn’t like the way he kept eyeing her whenever his glance fell upon her. There was a distinct vibe that rolled off of him, like… what? Dislike? Suspicion?   
  
Bob spoke again, breaking into her thoughts. "One of the good things about exploration games like this is that the select nullification only happens if the User achieves major objectives or harms a Mainframer. Hopefully, if anyone listens to my seminars, no-one will actually engage the User. So, I doubt we have to worry about him for a while.  
  
“Matrix,” he addressed his friend, who was coming up from behind to join them, “what do we do about that cure?"  
  
Matrix folded his arms, somewhat awkwardly due to the bulky nature of his armor. "Getting something like that in this game is going to trigger an event," he said. "But there's still time. Bob, how much time does she have?"  
  
"About three in-game days."  
  
"Then we better get moving."  
  
Hannah/Starwell walked with the two sprites, realizing more and more just how much more experienced they were in these matters.  
  
"So," she broke the silence as she walked, “I guess I don't know as much about being in a game as I thought. What happens if we encounter the User, or if we lose?”  
  
Bob drew in a breath. “If we see the User, it would be best to avoid it unless we’re sure we have the upper-hand,” he answered. “As for what happens when we lose games…” He looked her straight in the eye, as if attempting to enforce an important point that she didn’t know. “In most games, you and everyone else gets nullified if you lose.”  
  
“What does that mean?” Starwell asked, blinking at the odd term.  
  
"Nullification is what happens to someone who is caught in a game where either the User wins or they are destroyed. This reduces them to a null state," Explained Bob as they walked, "You'll find nulls all over Mainframe. They're small, and worm like, and they drain energy. This is the reason why most exploration type games aren't so much of a big deal, just long, as there usually isn't a main goal to this. That means the User doesn't win a game, it just plays. As long as you don't get in the way, you don't have to worry so much."  
  
"You don't have to be a null if the User wins..." muttered Matrix.  
  
Gizmo was chirping again. After a moment or two, Glitch beeped something in return, to which Gizmo said nothing.  
  
Bob was eyeing Starwell curiously. “Tell me something,” he said, “where did your Keytool come from?”   
  
“Uh…” Starwell eyed her arm thoughtfully. “Well…” She licked her lips. “All I know is that… when I started out in my Uncle’s System, this little guy came to me and it stuck to my arm like Velcro.” She ran a hand through her hair. “It almost felt like it connected with me… inside somehow.” She frowned; it felt strange to say that out loud.  
  
Bob nodded at her. “That’s what happens when a Keytool chooses its Guardian,” he explained, realizing more than ever how little she understood. It was strange; the girl was obviously young, yet she should have been old enough to understand at least a few things. He speculated it had something to do with her Tester Format; he knew nothing about her history or what she’d been through.  
  
“Yeah, well… what do you Guardians do, anyway?” Starwell asked, wanting to hear him state for himself what his job was.  
  
“A Guardian is someone who protects a system. Our code is to mend and defend, and--”  
  
“Oh yeah,” Starwell interrupted, “you thought I was a Guardian because I have a Keytool?”  
  
“Well… I did at first,” Bob answered. “But according to Glitch your Keytool isn’t Guardian, and I believe you’re a Tester Format.”  
  
“I’m not a Guardian… I don’t even belong in Mainframe,” Starwell said simply, in a quiet voice. She didn’t seem inclined to say much else.  
  
They reached a dirt path. Bob took a moment to check with the map on the game stats through his Keytool.  
  
"According to Glitch, the nearest city should be... that way!" Bob pointed down the Path, "We'll go there and see what happens. But I'll warn you, you'll be meeting passive game-sprites, whatever they say, its in their code and don't contain any real intelligence."  
  
"And you," Matrix directed at Starwell, "Don't try any funny business. One false move..." He let it hang in the air.  
  
Starwell flinched slightly. She glared at him. "Me?" she exclaimed indignantly, pointing at her chest. "Hey, you're the one who attacked me the first time you saw me! Do you have some kind of problem with me?"  
  
Gizmo squawked something almost incoherent on her arm. Starwell raised an eyebrow at it. She received the distinct impression that her Keytool didn't like Matrix very much.   
  
She wasn’t sure how she felt about him either, at present.  
  
"If you hadn't noticed, you're considered the Second User in this game," said Matrix sternly, "You could accidentally wipe out or nullify someone."  
  
Starwell gulped, as if she hadn’t even thought about this herself. Somehow that caused Matrix to glare all the more sternly at her.  
  
"Enzo," said Bob, "Don't be so hard on her. We're going to do what we can not to let anyone get hurt."  
  
Matrix gave Bob a look, and continued to walk.  
  
"You'll have to forgive him," said Bob, "He's gone through a lot."  
  
Starwell pressed her lips together in a thin line, staring warily at Matrix’s back as he walked off. On her wrist, Gizmo altered form just enough to create a shape that resembled a mouth. It then stuck out its tongue and blew a vocal raspberry in Matrix's direction, before returning to its normal shape on her arm.  
  
"Gizmo!" Starwell scolded gently, even if it made her chuckle a little. "Come on, knock off the attitude, I don't think we need to aggravate anybody. He's almost twice as big as I am, after all," she added, casting another wary glance in Matrix's direction.  
  
"I don't think I've seen a Keytool do that on its own before." Bob scratched his head. "Here, let’s catch up to Matrix before he gets too far away."  
  
“Okay.” Starwell walked alongside Bob, though she stayed a step or two behind him as if she wanted to duck behind him if Matrix chose to get aggressive again.


	8. Chapter 8

The path led into a wide expanse of field, as the forest slowly faded behind. It stretched for miles all around, and in the far distant against the horizon was the shadows of mountains. The path curved in the distance, and what almost appeared to be down below was a medieval city with stone walls surrounding it.  
  
"That's the nearest city," said Bob as he looked over it, "Whitefort."  
  
Hannah cradled the arm containing her Keytool against her chest, almost protectively as she followed the two larger sprites. It was her way of preventing Gizmo from doing anything else, since it was apparent that the Keytool had a... sassy side to its personality. Plus there was the fact that apparently it was her ally and companion, even if she had no idea how it was formed or where it came from.  
  
"Okay, so... what can we expect once we enter the city?" she asked. "Will there be merchants where we can spend in-game money? Will there be characters we can interact with, or... what?" She felt a strong sense of anticipation, as well as nervousness. It was exciting to be able to enter an in-game city as a real character for the first time in her life, but it was also rather scary. Especially since she'd already been threatened by bandits, a golem, and wolves... and she was currently infected with a wolf-sprite bug.  
  
"We'll probably meet a lot of passive game-sprites," said Bob, "We might even find a few ReBooted Mainframers. Just keep an eye out for them and the User."  
  
"You don't have to worry, Bob," said Matrix, his back turned to his other companions, "The cities in these games are friendly zones. The User shouldn't be able to do anything in the open."  
  
"Okay, speaking of the User..." Starwell cleared her throat, deciding that it was time to address something she'd been meaning to bring up at some point. "Well, uh..."  
  
She licked her lips, trying to think of the best way to broach the subject. After all, Matrix had nearly killed her for being a User, apparently... and he had said that she might accidentally nullify someone since the system considered her a User. Not to mention the entire fiasco with Anna Code back in her Uncle’s system…  
  
"What exactly do you guys think of me?" she flat-out asked. "I mean, do you believe I am a User?" She honestly didn't know what they thought of her. She figured it was better to get that out in the open sooner rather than later, especially since she needed their help getting back to her Uncle's system.   
  
Assuming, of course, the three of them ever got out of this game.  
  
Bob paused for a moment. "I think you're a young sprite with a Tester Format whose gotten lost on the Net." Bob glanced at Matrix, who didn't stop or turn as they walked. "I don't know what else to say," the Guardian continued, "I'm trying to help though, To Mend and Defend, that's my Guardian Code."  
  
"Then... how do you explain the way the game seems to recognize me as a User?" Starwell asked tentatively. She was still trying to feel him out on his thoughts on the matter. Part of her felt disappointed though, since apparently the explanation she'd tried to give him before the game started had flown over his head. Or maybe his processor had simply interpreted what she said into terms and concepts he was familiar with.  
  
Perhaps it was just as well. If other people in the computer system disliked Users as much as Anna Code seemed to... maybe it was for the best that they thought she was just a strange sprite or something. What if these guys turned on her if they figured out she really was a User? The thought terrified her a bit, especially since Bob was the closest thing she had to a friend at present. She couldn’t afford to lose him, especially since he might be her only hope of finding her way Home.  
  
"Probably a system glitch or maybe your Tester Format is meant to simulate a User." Bob shrugged.  
  
"Okay then," Starwell said with a small nod, choosing to accept that answer for now.  
  
On her arm, Gizmo squawked something. It seemed to be some kind of exclamation or protest. "Quiet," she told it. "So," she said, turning back to Bob, "what happens when we get out of this game? Can you help me find my way back to my Uncle's system? I really need to get back there." She stared at him in earnest.  
  
Bob smiled, "I said I'm going to help you, and I meant it. I'll-"  
  
"We're here," said Matrix.  
  
They stood just a mile or so away from the large front gates of the wall to Whitefort. The walls were about fifteen feet high and seemed to be made of stone. The gates were metallic, dark and somewhat dusty but they showed no signs of rust. Beyond the gate they could see a few of the closest structures within and they could vaguely make out a few figures moving about, probably passive game sprites.  
  
"Whoa," Starwell said. "It looks magnificent!" She let out a short breath, clasping her hands together in front of her. Off to the side Bob gave a small smile in her direction; Matrix simply grunted and wanted to keep moving.   
  
Starwell continued to stare even as she followed Bob and Matrix. Seeing a game city as something tangible that she could enter was a lot more exciting than staring at it on a computer monitor. Especially since this would be complete with real-time character interaction that was up close and personal, as well as smells and the ability to touch anything within reach.  
  
However, her awe and admiration were short-lived; a loud noise erupted, causing the three of them to turn toward the noise.  
  
It seemed that there was a pack of aggressive game sprites just outside the city, and they were coming toward them. They looked like large wolves… very similar to what they had faced back at the cave.  
  
"Oh not again," Hannah groaned, not wanting to deal with this. Starwell, on the other hand, tensed and prepared for a fight. "Uh... I don't have a weapon.” She thought quickly. “Gizmo! Can you help me out here?"  
  
Without warning, Gizmo formed the shape of a sword in her hand, just the perfect length and weight for her comfort and strength level. "Wow," she breathed. Why hadn’t she thought of this before?  
  
Matrix whipped out his bow and fired. A arrow pierced the chest of one of the were-creatures. It didn't even stun it. The creatures crawled on the ground, and growled.  
  
"I'm guessing this is the Event!" said Bob, unsheathing his own sword.  
  
"Yeah!" Matrix fired another arrow. It hit the eye of another werewolf, but because it was merely a Game sprite, the arrow stuck out of its face but did not impede its movement.  
  
Bob swung his sword at one that came too close. The creature knocked his sword away, and showed its teeth.  
  
"Bob!"  
  
Matrix dropped his bow, and drew his blade. He stabbed the werewolf in the chest. It merely turned, and pounced on him.   
  
They hit the ground. Matrix struggled against the beast. He pushed against the creature, and with its great strength, the beast pushed down on him. It sank its teeth into his neck.  
  
Matrix couldn't even scream.  
  
Even though Hannah was mostly in the background now as Alpha Starwell took more and more of a forefront, she was still easily frightened due to a lack of experience--literal experience, and experience points.  
  
However, part of her simply reacted--especially since Bob was currently preoccupied with two creatures that came after him in unison. He wouldn't be able to assist Matrix for at least a few microseconds. She let out a scream that was a deadly war cry, only slightly hysterical, and she jumped on top of the creature that was attacking Matrix. She drove her sword into its back, yanking hard. The creature released Matrix's throat and yelped, allowing Starwell to twist around slice its throat.  
  
This was when she found out that her Gizmo/sword had certain qualities to it; it could become a flaming blade at will, causing an increase of damage. The air filled with the stench of blood and burning fur and flesh as she finished off the creature that had been attacking Matrix.  
  
Bob had just finished off a couple of others by this point, and had engaged a third. Starwell gritted her teeth and took on a third one that came a bit too close for comfort. When she spared a glance in Matrix's direction she saw him gasping and clutching at his throat; he seemed to be recovering.  
  
But had still been bitten. The big, green-skinned sprite had been bitten, just like she had...  
  
A loud howl filled the air as the largest yet of the monsters came toward them. Whether it was simply reacting to its programming to attack, or if it was angered by the death of its companions, it was impossible to say. All that was obvious was that it was feral and it wanted blood.  
  
Actually... it appeared that it was a Boss of a sort. Perhaps it was part of a side-quest, to defeat a specific pack of these creatures or something. She couldn't be sure. Either way, it ended up sending Bob flying through the air with a thrust of its forward paws, and it whirled on Matrix as if to finish him off.  
  
However it couldn't keep up with all of its targets at once; Starwell had the opportunity to slip in and stick its backside with the tip of her sword. It snarled with annoyance, swatting her with its paw; she was knocked several feet back and had the wind knocked out of her.  
  
It leaped into the air, its mouth wide open and its claws spread as it prepared to land on her, poised to rip her face and throat out. "GIZMO, DO SOMETHING!" Starwell screamed as it landed on her.  
  
Gizmo reacted. It changed shape from a sword into a form of pure energy, like a long rope. It quickly snaked around the creature's front legs and long snout, hindering it. The mouth was secured shut and the front legs were pressed together, binding them like an electric rope. The large creature struggled and squirmed, rearing up on its hind quarters as it attempted to free itself from its predicament.  
  
Terror as well as pain caused Starwell to spring to her feet; Hannah was running the show was again, apparently, however briefly. She let out a high-pitched scream as she began to run, almost blindly, in the general direction of the city. She actually forgot about Gizmo and paid no mind to the fact that she was leaving it behind, as well as Matrix and Bob, who were working on finishing off the creature.  
  
She ran through the gate into the great city, barely sparing a glance at a couple of guard-like figures who stood outside. They didn't seem to take much notice of her or care one way or another if she entered or not. She ran down one of the streets, past several houses and a couple of venders, nearly mowing over a few NPCs as she hurried along.  
  
By the time she reached a dark, dank alley, she had pretty much run out of steam. It was unclear if sprites (or whatever she was) had adrenaline rush or if sheer terror had enabled her to run so far, so quickly. She took in several deep breaths and, once she felt her heart stop pounding in her chest, she took a calming breath and examined herself for damage.  
  
She couldn't really see much in the way of damage, although her energy levels felt low and her chest and shoulders hurt. She felt drained and sore.   
  
"Where's my sword?" she murmured to herself, then remembered. "Oh yeah, where's... Gizmo...?" Her eyes widened when she realized she had left it behind.  
  
"Aw shoot," she complained. When was she going to stop being that stupid? If she didn't learn to keep her equipment with her even when she was running for her own safety, she wasn't going to last very long in this world. Then again... she also needed to learn to keep her fear from getting the better of her.   
  
She sighed. It would have been difficult to take Gizmo with her anyway, considering it had literally wrapped itself around that monster to save her life.  
  
She tried to get up, but she ended up collapsing back down again. Apparently she was more drained than she thought.  
  
After a few nano-seconds she heard footfalls approaching. She glanced up hopefully, wondering if Bob and Matrix may have found her. However it wasn't either of them; it was a familiar (if soulless) face.  
  
"Oh, hi there," she greeted the User avatar, even though she knew full well that it couldn't respond to her. Or rather, the person outside of the computer probably couldn't understand her.  
  
It regarded her for a moment, its expressionless features staring at her. She could have sworn that the avatar tipped its head to one side as it contemplated her. Apparently she looked different enough so that whoever was playing the game kept pausing to consider her every time he or she spotted her. Either that or maybe the game truly was registering her as a second player.  
  
The elf avatar seemed to consider her a moment longer, as though the User was trying to figure her out.  
  
"Hey, I really wish you could understand me," Hannah breathed, pushing herself to her feet. She then took a step toward the User avatar. "I mean... you out there, in the computer chair. If only you could..."  
  
Could what? Even if the human outside the computer could understand her... what could he/she do? That person didn't even know her Uncle or anything about the device he was experimenting with.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix pushed himself to his knees, dazed. The fight had gone into a blur. He remembered getting pounced by the game sprite, he remembered the teeth that had sunk into his neck, and then... he stood. The Lootable bodies of werewolves laid all around him in pools of blood. His helmet, his sword and his bow were lost in the fight. Bob was next to him. He looked drained, his blue skin was paler than normal.  
  
There was one more of them left: the pack leader. It was tied by an electrical rope, grunting and struggling against its bounds. The more it fought against the rope the more the restraining cord seemed to stretch--but then a sharp current rippled through the rope, causing the beast to go temporarily limp.  
  
"Where's Starwell?" asked Bob, tired. He eyed the wolf with a wary glance, taking note of the altered Keytool that held firm.  
  
"...I don't know," Matrix murmured.  
  
The pack leader recovered from its shock and began to struggle again. It twisted and writhed in its bonds, snorting through its nose. Its feral eyes were wide, laced more with aggravation than desperation.  
  
Matrix hauled himself off the ground and walked toward it. “Enzo, don’t get too close,” Bob protested, but the Renegade ignored his friend. Matrix reached out to the game sprite and touched the energy wire. It changed, and wrapped around his arm.  
  
The beast was free. Matrix stumbled, and landed on the ground. The creature growled at him. And then it bounded off.  
  
"Matrix!" Bob was at his side. Matrix blinked a few times. He found that the rope had changed into a Keytool, resting in his palm. It whirled and beeped. Matrix knew it was not happy.  
  
Gizmo continued to squawk for another few nanoseconds. Glitch seemed to respond on Bob's arm, though it was unclear whether Glitch was chattering because it was being spoken to or whether it was simply trying to get Gizmo to calm down.   
  
All of a sudden Gizmo changed shape into the approximate form of a mouth again. This time there was no tongue to deliver a raspberry, however; there were only razor-sharp teeth. It wasted no time biting Matrix squarely on the palm.  
  
Matrix cried out, and tried to pry the changed Keytool from his hand.  
  
Bob held out his arm. "Glitch! A-" He didn’t get a chance to finish the command.  
  
"I'm TIRED OF THIS!" Matrix glared at the mouth, "Gun! Lock Target!" His golden eye glowed and moved. It turned in his head, and the letter M acted as a pupil. It turned red. A red hologram appeared on the changed Keytool. It was a red M, but the hologram did not come from his eye. It came from Matrix's bow, which floated in the air just a few feet away.  
  
The bow's form rippled, and changed into a gun. It resembled a submarine gun. “Fire!" Gun fired. A single bullet pinged off the Keytool-formed mouth, and it released its grip. Gun flew into Matrix's hand, and he aimed at the Keytool.  
  
Gizmo let out a shrill hiss, and then it returned to its normal Keytool form for a moment. It then whirled and beeped again, possibly giving the Keytool equivalent of spouting off profanities.  
  
“Matrix, stop!” Bob moved forward, stepping over the Keytool. “Let me--” The Guardian frowned, eyeing the Renegade’s throat. “Oh no, you’ve been bitten, too.”  
  
“Yeah.” Matrix fingered his windpipe and traced the indents of tooth marks. The bitten area no longer hurt but it did feel uncomfortable. “Guess we better find that cure,” he muttered with determination. He took another brief glance around and then allowed Gun to re-attach itself to his hip.  
  
Bob nodded. “We’ll find it,” he vowed. “We also have to find Starwell.”  
  
“She ran off again. Figures.”  
  
“She’s just a kid. I doubt she’s even been in a game like this before,” Bob shrugged. “Come on.”  
  
“Okay,” Matrix grunted with a nod.  
  
Gizmo hissed, a noise obviously aimed at the big green sprite. Matrix shot it a glare, but otherwise did not acknowledge it.


	9. Chapter 9

Starwell proceeded to follow the User avatar through the city. She figured that, perhaps, she could stick with it for a little while, though she knew she was clinging to the vain hope that the User on the outside would understand the predicament she was in.   
  
Part of her was a little worried, though. Bob and Matrix had warned her to stay away from the User, and Matrix already didn’t like her because the game recognized her as a User. What would happen if they caught her following it around?  
  
Well, she thought, I’ll just deal with that when it comes. She had to admit that the city was a beautiful place, even if it was merely a collection of graphics and programming parameters. Then again… to the sprites, it might as well have been real.   
  
“If I ever get out of here,” Hannah murmured to herself, “I’ll never be able to play a game the same way again.” Bob’s talk of nullification and Matrix’s dislike toward her had forced her to look at things in a new light. Back in her own world, people played games all the time without any notion of what went on inside the computer, or…  
  
Heck, they had no idea there were any people living inside the systems at all. How could any of them know?  
  
“Man, I wish I could tell you about Bob and Matrix,” she murmured to the User avatar, as she trotted along behind it. “I bet you’d be completely shocked if you had any idea. Then again,” she commented thoughtfully, “I bet you have seen them before. You just think they’re in-game characters. Which… they are right now, but they’re so much more!”  
  
She sighed. The User avatar stopped at a merchant vender and seemed to be browsing through an buy/sell inventory. It probably wanted to purchase better weapons or something. She leaned casually against the stall, simply studying it as she waited for it to finish. “Man I wish you could understand me,” she commented yet again.  
  
Part of her knew she should simply give this up. She was stuck, and she technically just a lost sprite right now, nothing more. Bob didn’t believe that she was a User, at least not yet, and there was no way to get the attention of the outside world from here. She was more or less on her own, although she was better off with Bob’s help.  
  
If she could find him again.  
  
“Come on,” she whispered, almost desperately. “Isn’t there some way I can make you understand?” She stared earnestly at the User avatar, as if it itself could somehow give her the answer she was looking for, or provide some kind of in-game miracle.  
  
However, it simply finished up its business, equipped a better mage staff, and then took off in a different direction. Still unable to give up on her stubborn quest, she proceeded to follow it for a little longer.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The Guardian and the Renegade were loaded into Whitefort. Bob had taken Starwell's Keytool and placed it on his armor's belt. It didn't seem so ready to attack him, and it kept Matrix's Gun away from it. He had to stop him from doing anymore harm to it. The last thing needed was it going rogue, as it had the capacity for.  
  
According to Glitch, Starwell had run into the city somewhere. She needed to be found, especially since the User was inside the city as well. They passed so few passive game sprites, the in-game night-time seemed to have effects on everything rather than for show. Bob had known games to implement this kind of features, though few.  
  
Matrix followed close behind. Gun remained in easy-reach on his thigh, and he gave glares to any game sprite that came near.  
  
Bob stopped suddenly as something caught his eye. Unfortunately, so did Matrix. He spotted what Bob was looking at. He growled. "YOU!" Matrix whipped out Gun and rushed forward. He pushed past Bob, and slammed into his target. He had Gun aimed under the User Avatar’s chin. The elf staggered as Matrix’s other hand grabbed the front of its mage robe.  
  
"Matrix! Stop!" Bob exclaimed, extending his arm.  
  
"Oh my gosh--HEY!" Starwell exclaimed. She wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but she had an inclination to protect the User Avatar... even if it wasn't really a person. She grabbed Matrix's arm, giving him a little push to get him to back off.  
  
Gizmo shrieked on Bob's belt, attempting to pull itself loose. It had detected its proper owner and wanted to return to her.  
  
The User Avatar, meanwhile, acted in self-defense; it raised its staff and cast a temporary freezing spell on Matrix, causing both him and Starwell (who was still clutching his arm) to become temporarily crusted in immobilizing ice.  
  
Then, apparently deciding not to take any chances (the User's experience level still wasn't very high yet, most likely) the elf mage sprinted off in another direction.  
  
That was when one of the nearby guards, a game sprite, spoke. "No fighting in the city," he said, though he did not draw his blade. "This is your first and only warning." Evidently, the guard sprites were programmed to keep the peace within the city.  
  
The ice spell wore off within a few seconds. Starwell gasped and collapsed on the ground. Matrix shuddered a bit as a few final ice chunks fell away from his bitmap and vanished, though he remained on his feet.  
  
The guard gave them a final glance, then walked away.  
  
Gizmo practically ripped itself off of Bob's belt and flew to Starwell, attaching itself to her arm. It beeped at her insistently.  
  
"Ugh," Starwell grunted, eyeing the Keytool warily. "Yeah, I'm okay. I think. Man that was cold!" She shivered.  
  
Matrix had finished recovering; he pulled Gun on Starwell. "Why did you stop me!?" he demanded. "I nearly had the User!"  
  
Bob rushed to Matrix and Starwell, "Matrix that's enough!” he said firmly. “Look, we're all tired. You and Starwell have something that needs to be cured immediately, but that is no reason to fight with each other. We've only got three game days-"  
  
"Two." Matrix looked up. The sky was changing from its black and dark blue color to purples and oranges. A yellow disc was slowly coming up in the horizon.  
  
Gizmo let out another shrill hiss, and somehow that was the final thing Starwell needed to lose her last nerve.  
  
"Just shut up!" she snapped at it. It squeaked, then remained silent.  
  
She gazed up at the sky for a moment, taking in the sight of the changing color and the rising sun. "I'm sick of all of this," she stated, her voice trembling a little. "All I did was play around on my Uncle's computer and somehow I ended up here. I'm sick of this stupid game, I'm sick of all of this fighting, and I just want to go home!"  
  
When she finished her rant she exhaled loudly and stamped her foot. It... made her feel a little better, to get that out of her system.  
  
Matrix forced his arm down.   
  
Bob placed a hand on Starwell's shoulder, and looked into her eyes, "I'm going to help you. I'm going help you survive the game, and I'm going to get you home. No matter what it takes."  
  
Around them, passive game sprites began the day cycle. Bob gently gave Starwell's shoulder a squeeze, "Lets find somewhere to rest and think. According to Glitch, there should be an Inn somewhere- There!" Bob pointed at a building nearby. The sign on it said "The Green Wyrm".  
  
Hannah inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "Fine," she said in a calmer tone, shrugging away from Bob's touch. "Sounds good to me, I guess." She slowly moved away from them, toward the Inn that Bob had indicated. She opened the door and stepped inside, holding it open just long enough for Bob to hold it open on his own and for Matrix.   
  
Starwell then plunked herself down in a bench at one of the tables. She placed her elbows on its smooth, polished surface and then rested her face against her hands, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. Gosh she was tired. If nothing else, she needed an energy boost.  
  
The Guardian eyed her for a moment and seemed to read her mind. "Matrix, why don't you order some Game Energy? Please?" asked Bob.  
  
Matrix grunted, and headed to the merchant game sprite at the bar. Bob sat down next to Starwell, who looked at him but didn’t really move or respond.  
  
"There have been a couple of times that I've been in an in-game inn," Bob said conversationally. "Even slept in one when the User was being particularly slow..." He cleared his throat, "Don't worry about the game-energy drinks, they're a little stronger than net energy drinks but they'll do the job. I'd be careful about drinking them too fast or chugging them. Sometimes they have ill effects that the game intended them, and other times they'll cross your processors by how powerful a drink they are."  
  
Matrix returned with three tankards, likely filled with what the game had identified as beer.  
  
Starwell acknowledged Bob's words with a slight nod, watching warily as the drinks were set down on the table before them. She looked at Matrix cautiously, still feeling a bit uncertain about him. She was only slightly reassured when he sat down in the opposite bench and glugged his drink as if he was used to the stuff.  
  
She tentatively spread her fingers around the large cup’s rim and picked up her drink, bringing it to her nostrils to sniff it. She made a face, then adjusted her grip and took a tiny sip. She grimaced.  
  
Still, at least she was being allowed to drink here, right? She smirked, the rebellious part of her liking the fact that she could drink at age sixteen in here. Back home she would have to wait until she was twenty-one. Ignoring the fact that it was her rebellious attitude that got her turned into a sprite and stuck inside a computer in the first place, she tipped her head back and took a big gulp.  
  
This resulted in what felt like her brain going on overload, and she began to cough and splutter.  
  
"Hey now, don't gulp it down," Bob chuckled, catching her cup and setting it down as she started to drop it. He took a sip of his drink, "This isn't even the strongest game-drink, but it will make you recount your digits."  
  
Matrix grumbled something incoherent.  
  
Starwell inhaled sharply and managed to stop coughing. She blinked a couple of times, clearing the fuzz out of her brain. “Yeah, no kidding,” she said, her voice slightly raspy. Her throat did not feel raw but it did feel like an electrical current had flowed down it the wrong way or something. And she was supposed to be able to consume energy now, right?  
  
"I remember when Dot first had one of these," continued Bob, “She ended up spitting the stuff on me. It was the funniest most embarrassing moment I ever had. It was only later that I found out that Dot had actually remade the bits of code in the drinks to improve the energy-drinks at the Diner.”  
  
"The fastest food in Mainframe." Matrix gave a small smile, just barely hidden by the tankard at his lips.  
  
"That's nice," Starwell commented flatly. Her mood was improving somewhat with the energy drink; it had definitely increased her energy levels and made her feel a bit more energized and alert. It certainly had a different and stronger effect than tea or coffee had on a human in the real world.  
  
She took another tentative sip, and then she set the drink down for the moment. "Look," she said quietly, staring down into the brownish liquid as she turned the tankard around between her hands, "I wasn't trying to do anything stupid out there, just so you know. I just wanted to see if I could... talk to the User."  
  
It seemed stupid trying to explain this to them. She just hoped they would understand, somehow. "Don't know why I bothered," she grumbled, more to herself than to them. "He doesn't listen to me. He doesn't understand me." She glared at her drink.  
  
"...You're not the only one who’s tried." Bob coughed for a moment, and got comfortable, "Back in the Academy, when I was a 1.0 Guardian version, I experienced one of my first major games. It was this basic game known as Puck-Guy. Basically, you're in this maze, and the User's objective is to collect these small floating squares. Well, the rest of us had to go after the User. When I first saw it, I tried to talk to it...  
  
"When I woke up, the game had already ended. My teacher nearly had a fit with me, told me that I was nearly deleted in my efforts and that the User, no matter the avatar, does not speak to anyone, and does not care about our lives.  
  
"I didn't believe it. I still don't believe it. I know the User winning a game is a horrible thing, and that the User always plays to win no matter what. But still, I want to contact the User. I want to know... why. What's the reason for all of this?" Bob gestured to the inn room, "For viruses, for everything."  
  
He looked into his drink, and sighed, "I want to know for sure that the User lives outside of the Net or the Web, and if it implements games for pleasure."  
  
Starwell found herself listening to his words intently. She felt a sick feeling creeping into her stomach as they sank in. She had played games for pleasure many, many times... what happened during all of the times she won? She knew nothing about programming, so she had never created any viruses, nor did she know anyone who had. But since viruses could wreck havoc on computers and cause inconvenience for Users... what did they do the sprites?  
  
How many stupid, careless things had she, and everyone like her, done to people like these, all because they had no idea that these people were here or what their antics did to their world?  
  
I could answer some of your questions, she thought, licking her lips as she stared down at her drink. But I know you don't even believe I'm a User. Her face fell as she continued to stare into her half-full tankard.  
  
Bob interpreted Starwell's fall of face. "Hey now, don't worry," he said, "We'll get you and Matrix cured, and be out of the game before you know it."  
  
"That's not what's bothering me," she admitted vaguely. Starwell sighed, and lifted the drink to her lips once again. In a few small, careful swallows, she finished it off. She wasn't inclined to say any more, since they'd probably think she was crazy or lying.  
  
Gizmo seemed to nuzzle against her arm, almost comfortingly. At least it seemed to believe that she was a User... or did it? Maybe it just liked her a lot. She would have to ask it later in private if it believed she was a User... if she got the chance.  
  
"Here, I'll get some refills," said Bob, in higher spirits than he was earlier, "I'll be right back."  
  
Matrix crossed his arms, his elbows leaned on the table and his eyes closed. It almost appeared like he was napping.  
  
Starwell studied Matrix for a long moment. "So," she said in a light, conversational tone, "uh... are you okay? I saw that wolf bite you earlier, before I..." She glanced away, embarrassed. "Before I ran off."  
  
Matrix opened one eye at her, and it did not convey emotion. He grunted, shifted on his elbows, and returned to his resting state.  
  
“Okay…” Starwell said awkwardly. She cleared her throat. “You seem fine. Um…” She glanced around the Inn again, trying to find something to say or something she could comment on. “This is a nice place, isn’t it? Do you think we’ll be staying here a while?”  
  
Matrix gave no response.  
  
“Okay then,” Starwell mumbled, abandoning any attempt at small talk. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of the big sprite. He didn’t seem to like her much, nor did he want to talk to her. She got the impression he only tolerated her because of Bob, which she supposed was okay with her.

Just as long as he didn’t try to kill her.   
  
Gizmo beeped and shifted, perhaps about to do or say something to convey its displeasure at Matrix’s attitude. A brief glare from Starwell, however, stayed the Keytool.  
  
"I'm back!" Bob carried three more tankards. Just as he neared the table a game-sprite accidentally bumped into him, knocking one of the tankards out of his hand.  
  
Matrix moved in a flash. Nobody had realized what had happened until a corpse was on the ground, and Matrix held Gun pointed in his hand. The game-sprites reacted accordingly. They ran, one of them screamed, "Murderer!" and a few of them simply begged for mercy as they crouched and hid.  
  
"Enzo..." Bob's eyes were wide.  
  
Matrix blinked, and he faltered. He looked at the corpse. He didn't show pity or even shame. But one look at Bob, and his face became uncharacteristically regretful. "I'm sorry, Bob. I just... reacted."  
  
Starwell stared at the Renegade. She had already seen how quickly Matrix could move when threatened or attacked, and she was definitely no stranger to the idea that he could harm and kill. It was only due to Bob's presence and apparent influence with him that she felt okay to be around him.  
  
Yet this action caused her to become more uncertain. Perhaps it was just her being startled by the aggressive action as well as her lingering guilt over what she and her fellow Users had been doing to the sprites and their systems that caused her to stand up in a swift, abrupt motion.   
  
"Excuse me," she said stiffly, with an uncertain--almost fearful--glance at Matrix. "I need some air." She turned away from Matrix, not even looking at him or Bob as she began to march in the general direction of the door.  
  
Combative game-sprites came through the door. They were in iron armor with regular iron swords, but their coding made them more fierce than any User.  
  
Guards.   
  
"In the name of the law, stop criminal scum!" one of them guards shouted.  
  
Matrix aimed Gun at them, and fired. This wasn't quick reaction, this was survival. He wasn't going to be stopped by game-sprites. The bullet killed the Guard at the front.  
  
"Aw crap not again!" Hannah practically whined, although Starwell was already on the defensive. "Gizmo, sword!" At her command the Keytool once again took the shape of a sword, already flaming. She gripped the hilt with both hands, this time determined not to drop it.


	10. Chapter 10

More guards were coming in; she ducked for cover. Patrons screamed and the few who had remained indoors were running out the back. The bartender ducked down behind the bar. Starwell ran toward the back of the Inn, knocking over a table and taking cover behind it. "Gizmo, change into something else," she said in a low tone. "Maybe... a gun? Yeah, a gun!"  
  
It whirred and then did as it was told. It became a shining steel pistol of some sort, which she aimed carefully as she peered above the table. She fired off a shot, blowing of the guards' heads off. She then fired a second shot, missing Bob's head by centimeters and shattering the front window. She blanched. "Oops," she gulped. "Sorry Bob!"  
  
Matrix fired again. Something pierced his hand. A long arrow shaft stuck from the back. He dropped Gun, and pulled the arrow out.  
  
Two more hit him, one in the thigh, the other in the stomach. His leg gave way, and he landed on his good knee.  
  
"You are under arrest," said a surviving guard, a bow and arrow in the game-sprite's hands, "You will pay your fine or be sent to prison for five days."  
  
Matrix growled something, and the game-sprite took that as a jail option.  
  
"Matrix!" Bob yelled, as a brief flash occurred. Both the guard and Matrix were gone, downloaded somewhere else entirely.  
  
Starwell fired another shot, missing once again. Her eyes went wide when she heard the voice of one of the guards, telling Matrix to choose between two options.  
  
Now the guards were headed toward her.  
  
"Aw crap!" She exclaimed. It suddenly dawned on her that if she had just gone outside or stayed out of the way, this wouldn't be happening to her right now. The one time that she should have run off and gotten away from the ruckus, she didn't. All because she'd wanted to prove that she wouldn't run away every time the action started.  
  
"Gizmo," she sighed, "get back on my arm." The Keytool obediently returned to its default shape, and returned to her arm.  
  
She yelped as an arrow struck her in the chest, then she looked up to see a guard staring down at her, his sword drawn.  
  
"You are under arrest,” the guard stated, reciting the same scripted game-dialogue as he had with Matrix. “You will either pay a fine or be sent to jail for five days.  
  
Starwell bowed her head. "I have no money," she stated. She then squeezed her eyes shut, huddling the arm with Gizmo attached close to her chest, steeling herself for whatever was coming next.  
  
Bob stood alone.  
  
He didn't attack the game-sprite guards. It would more than likely impede his progress. By Glitch's standards, Starwell and Matrix were still in the city, just in a secure location.  
  
He knew he had little time too. There was such a short time to cure both of them of the Lycanthropy. And he needed to find the cure.  
  
So, he'd have to ask around.  
  
And five days...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

...With only two left.  
  
Matrix woke. He was in a small dark room. The dull-colored stones in the walls and the floor were uneven and cold against his skin. He had been relieved of all his items, his armor, and his weapons. The only thing he had on was the tight in-game underwear that came with his ReBoot, and his icon. He wasn't even sure where Gun was.  
  
He moved around his cell, observing his surroundings as he walked. Chains dangled from the walls, a partially broken wooden table stood nearby, and a small barred window at the top of the wall. He walked to the front of the cell. A firm push on the door confirmed that it was locked, and it wasn't the kind that he could simply bend or break with his strength or speed. He was stuck.  
  
And just across from the cell, he found a familiar face.  
  
Starwell lay flat on the ground, feeling frigid and somewhat stiff from having lain in one position for far too long. For a long moment she stared up at the ceiling, as if trying to remember who she was and where she was. She grunted as she rolled over onto her side, her eyes taking notice of her sole companion in the cell.  
  
It was Matrix. It actually took her a moment to recognize him, mostly because he was no longer wearing his armor. In fact… he seemed to be in his briefs. She then became self-consciously aware of something. Her outer clothing had apparently been removed, leaving her in her bra and a set of skimpy panties.  
  
Her eyes flew wide. She looked up at Matrix again and let out a little shriek as she sat up, wrapping her arms around herself as best she could.  
  
She let out a scream. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!” she shouted at top volume. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME WHILE I WAS UNCONCIOUS?!” She scrambled backward across the floor until she bumped into the cell wall behind her.  
  
"What?" Matrix blinked. Then he blinked again. He rolled his eyes, and sat down on a higher stone on the floor, high and large enough to act as a seat. "Like I would do anything to you while you're not processing."  
  
Starwell didn't seem so convinced... yet. "Then what am I doing in my underwear?!" she demanded with a shriek. She was still too disoriented and stunned to think about what was going on rationally. “WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CLOTHES?!”  
  
“Oh stop screaming…” Matrix grunted, annoyed by all the shrieking over nothing. “The game took them from you when you were loaded here.” He unconsciously rubbed his neck. His normal green skin had darkened around that area. Just under his fingers, his neck glowed slightly, which dimmed repeatedly. After effects.  
  
He glanced up at the window, momentarily wondering where Bob was at the moment.  
  
Starwell was now huddled in the corner, ignoring the cold stone that bit into her back and chilled her skin as she used her knees and arms to try and conceal herself from view. Her eyes darted around.  
  
Back in the real world it would have been against the law to put such a big, burly man in a room with a sixteen-year-old, especially in their underclothes. But once again, she was finding that things were very, very different here.  
  
She was completely out of her element now, more than ever. The sprite side of her seemed to take a step or two back as the frightened Hannah took more of a forefront, even just for a few nano-clicks.  
  
"I wanna go home," she practically whimpered. A single tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
Matrix clenched his hands, his digits digging into his palms. Memories of Game-Jumping came back, the desire for home, and the hopelessness as he and AndrAIa had found one nearly desolated system after another.  
  
He closed his eyes. "AndrAIa..." He wondered if he would be able to see her again after his code was recompiled.  
  
Starwell sucked in a breath through her nose, trying to calm herself. Cut it out, she told herself. You know what happens in these RPGs when you get stripped of everything. Your character gets stripped. Literally.  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut, then forced them to open. She glanced at Matrix just as he uttered a word. Or was it a name?  
  
"What's AndrAIa?" she asked in spite of herself.  
  
Matrix left his memories for the moment, and grumbled. He would have dismissed the young sprite, but not now. Even he knew that. "AndrAIa is a very good friend of mine," he spoke, "We've been through just about everything together."  
  
"Oh..." Starwell licked her lips nervously, though she was beginning to get a grip on herself and her emotions. "You must miss her a lot right now," she commented thoughtfully.  
  
"She is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me.” Matrix glanced up toward the window, releasing a small breath through his slightly parted lips. If only she could be here with him now, if only he could touch her one more time…  
  
Starwell’s voice cut into his reverie. "All of my friends and family are... well, back home," she said. "I gotta get back to my Uncle's system before I can see any of them again." She glanced at the bite mark on her arm; it was definitely glowing a bit. "Yeah, if I see them again."  
  
Matrix knew the feeling of homelessness. How he and AndrAIa had spent what to them had been a very long time. He didn't even realize that hardly any time had passed in normal Net time. The realization that he had grown up, and that Dot or Bob or anyone of his old friends and family had hardly aged, that was both heart lifting and crippling.  
  
He scratched at his neck. He felt like he needed to gag. "I know the feeling."  
  
"I don't think you do!" Starwell snapped, beginning to despair. She wasn't even sure how she'd managed to hold herself together this long. Maybe it was due to the fact that she had kept moving nonstop, plus there was Bob's positive attitude and encouragement. But now...  
  
She seemed to forget that she was nearly naked as she stamped her feet and stood. The cold floor and wall were getting a bit too chilly and uncomfortable against her skin anyway.   
  
"I don't even know how I got myself into this mess," she said bitterly as she marched toward the window. She craned her neck to look out, as if wishing she could catch a glimpse of home somehow, just once. "My Uncle told me not to touch anything, and now..."  
  
Her voice faltered. Somehow it was finally sinking in that she could very well be stuck in this state for the rest of her life. Even if she got out of the game... what if she never found her way back to her Uncle's system? Or worse yet, what if he unplugged the conversion device so that she couldn't get back? Or what if he turned off his computer for a long period of time?  
  
She thought of her parents. Would she ever see them again? Would she ever see her school or talk to her friends back home again? Despite what an annoying brat he was, she found she even missed her brother, Greg. She would far rather have an argument with him over his finicky attitude toward Hannah’s cooking or the way he spent too much time on the Xbox than be stuck in this predicament.  
  
Tears of anger and helplessness began to stream freely down her cheeks. "It's not fair!" she shouted, turning and marching toward the locked door. She slammed her fists against it. It hurt. She did it again anyway, just to get it out of her system. "I want to get out of here and go back to where everything is normal! I WANT TO GO HOME!"  
  
She slammed against the door for good measure, then buried her face against it. She began to sob quietly.  
  
“Screaming is not going to get you anywhere." Matrix leaned back, so that his back was against the wall. He crossed his arms, and let his eyes close.  
  
Hannah/Starwell didn't even look at him. She put a hand over her mouth, attempting to muffle the sounds as she continued to cry. In truth, she was embarrassing herself a little now.  
  
Come on, get it together, the rational part of her mind urged the part of her that just wanted to fall to pieces. At times, it almost felt like "Hannah" and "Starwell" were at odds with each other. It was possible that although she was now Alpha Starwell, the being that the matter-converter had made her... well, she was still Hannah. All of the memories and experiences from the real world, along with what made her human, were still a part of her.  
  
Hannah did not belong here and she wanted to either completely freak out and abandon hope, or go home immediately. Alpha Starwell wanted to kick her in the tail shaft, tell her to get over herself, and get through this so that she could continue to learn more about this alien environment so she could find a way home.  
  
That's the goal you're aiming for, Starwell told Hannah firmly in her mind. This was starting to make Hannah wonder if she would need to see a therapist after this; she was technically talking to herself inside her mind. Then again, everybody did that to some fashion. You are going to wait out these next five days, Starwell continued, because you have no choice. You can either act like a big baby and cower in the corner like a pathetic little thing, or you can pull yourself together and try to do something useful.  
  
Hannah squeezed her eyes shut again, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. She wiped her eyes and her cheeks as a newfound calm and determination seemed to settle over her; Alpha Starwell was in control again.  
  
"Okay," she whispered, pushing herself away from the door. She glanced at Matrix, then she began to pace the cell a bit just to move around and have something to do. Starwell no longer cared that she was nearly naked; she had grasped the concept that things were that different in the game setting. If she didn't care much when her characters got stripped in the games she played back home, why should she care here? Nobody was going to look at her or do anything to her, and she'd probably get her clothes and everything back once she got out anyway.  
  
Clothes and everything...  
  
Her eyes widened as she remembered something. She glanced sharply at her arm, realizing for the first time that her Keytool was gone. "Oh my gosh," she exclaimed, looking around frantically as if she might find it on the floor somewhere. "What happened to Gizmo?!" Her newfound calm was temporarily replaced with slight panic.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Bob was running outside of Whiterun, his armor chinking softly as he moved. It was a few errands for quest-giving game-sprites. Unless the game had levels, he wasn't supposed to activate them, let alone talk to them. It would have gone against his code. He managed to bypass that, however. He was trying to mend and defend the somewhat missing friends, and sometimes that meant you bent the rules a bit. This was about the only way to help them, at least to stop them from recompiling into something worse.  
  
Glitch beeped and whirled. Bob stopped and asked, "What is it?" More beeps and whirls.

Then a different but familiar set of beeps answered.  
  
“Gizmo?” Bob began to hurry toward the sound, trampling through some tall ferns and grass as he made haste.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Gizmo was not happy in the slightest. When Alpha Starwell had been placed under arrest and downloaded to another location, Gizmo itself had broken the game rules and rebelled against the notion of being stored in a memory block along with the rest of Starwell's and Matrix's confiscated inventory. The raw code for their equippable belongings had been placed in a memory buffer where they would automatically be retrieved and returned to Matrix and Starwell once their jail time was over.  
  
However, Gizmo had simply freed itself from the memory buffer and ended up in a random location. For a period of time it simply sat there on the ground, crying out for a little while until it finally heard something promising.

Glitch, the other Keytool, was nearby. That meant that Starwell's current favorite ally, Bob, was also very close by. Gizmo shrieked shrilly, practically bouncing on the ground in an attempt to get both of their attention. Glitch responded readily, and Gizmo gave a burst of gratitude. It had been found! That meant that they could help Gizmo get back to Starwell.  
  
Bob approached the grassy patch on which the Keytool sat. It practically bounced as he neared. “Hey, Gizmo,” he greeted it as he picked it up. He then placed it on his other arm for safe-keeping. While the Keytool did not exchange code--possibly because it was Starwell's--it did rest easy. Sorta.   
  
He already knew that it was peeved about him not going after Starwell right away. He couldn't, there was things to do at the moment and he wouldn't have to worry about Starwell or Matrix at the moment. They would be safe, for now. Long enough for him to find a cure.  
  
Mostly, he had to convince himself. He could go in, guns or rather swords, blazing. But that wouldn't help anyone. He had to find a cure...


	11. Chapter 11

Starwell had more or less accepted the fact that she was without Gizmo and that she would have to do without clothing for the next five days or so. Unless Bob could work some kind of miracle to get her and Matrix out.  
  
"You know," she sighed as she sat down at the table, "I think... we might as well talk or something while we're stuck in here. If I can't do something while we're here, I am going to go crazy."  
  
She eyed a rickety chair at the broken table in the middle of the cell. She touched the back support and gave it a little shake, testing it. She then chose to test it with her full weight by sitting on it; it seemed to hold up her weight... for now. It did creak a little bit, so she decided to keep as still as possible.  
  
She made a face when she eyed the table in front of her, deciding not to rest her hands or elbows on it. It looked filthy. "Tell me something," she said in a conversational tone. "The... game seems to think I'm a User. What do you think I am?"  
  
Since she didn't really get an answer from Matrix when she had originally asked that question, she hoped he would give her an answer now. It seemed obvious that he wasn't going to kill her or harm her in any way while they were in this cell, but she still wanted to be safe and know what his opinion of her was. Besides, she was also very curious--not to mention anxious and a bit bored.  
  
Matrix was silent for a moment. "You're probably what Bob said," he deadpanned, "A sprite with a tester format, lost in the Net. Likely you were made by the Guardians to simulate a User. Or at least be identified as one."  
  
Matrix heard himself drone. His neck itched, but he ignored it.  
  
"I see," Starwell said slowly. "Well," she said with a forced laugh, trying to sound like she was kidding around, "What would you think if I said I believe I really am a User?" Her smile was strained. She knew she was treading in dangerous water here.  
  
"I'd say you suffered a head crash." Matrix shifted on the wall and tried to get comfortable.  
  
"Well...." Starwell tentatively pursued the topic in spite of herself. "Why does it seem so impossible that I could be a User? Don't you think it might be possible that a User could somehow, someday, come into a system?"  
  
Even as she said those words they sounded ridiculous, even to her own ears. Seriously, if she had not been converted into a game sprite herself and gone through all of this, would she have believed anybody else if they said they had gone inside a computer and met some people inside? She would have thought they were crazy or telling a funny story.  
  
Why should any of them believe that a real User could set foot inside a system?  
  
I just want to go home and forget this ever happened, she thought. Once she was back in the real world, it was everybody for themselves, just like it was before. She still felt bad about the User ignorance that threatened the lives of sprites, but Matrix and Bob seemed pretty good at surviving. That meant others were, too.  
  
When I get out of here, I'm never playing any games again, she vowed to herself. Or if I do, I'm losing on purpose.  
  
"You and Bob can exchange theories later." Matrix took a breath, and knew there was no sleeping any time soon.  
  
"Yeah, okay." Starwell sighed and glanced up, out the window. "I guess you're not very talkative," she said with a little shrug.   
  
She sighed and stamped her foot as she got out of the chair. "Ugh," she grunted, "this is going to drive me nuts. I'm already going stir-crazy!"  
  
"Its a processor-game, don't think about it too much." Matrix used his eye to target different areas in the room. Finding combat areas, hiding areas, and vantage points. He'd do this to any place that he had been in, when bored that is.  
  
Starwell sighed and returned to her rickety chair. "Have you ever been in a spot like this before?" she asked. "In jail, I mean. How do you pass the time?"  
  
Part of her knew she was being annoying, asking all of these questions. But this was her first game inside a computer, and she had never been in jail before, in reality outside a system or inside a system.  
  
"You don't think about it too much, and you keep yourself occupied." Matrix had been in situations where he had been put somewhere. Most of those situations, he broke out and possibly broke the game too.  
  
Then there were the sit and wait times. He didn't have to like them, but he dealt with them the best he could.  
  
"Then let's talk," Starwell insisted, leaning forward and placing her palms against the table. Under normal circumstances she probably would have preferred to move around, especially to put more space between herself and Matrix. Most especially after he killed an innocent passerby back in the Inn.  
  
Then again... there was something that she had noticed, something she was curious about. She had almost overlooked it and nearly forgotten about it in all the ruckus, but in a situation like this... there wasn't much you could do besides think.  
  
"Tell me about Bob," she requested, eyeing him curiously. She had seen the way he looked regretful about killing that game sprite, only after he'd seen Bob's reaction. "Is he... I don't know, like your cousin or uncle or something?" If the difference in skin color was any indication, she wouldn't assume that they were brothers or anything like that. Then again, who knew when it came to sprites?  
  
"Bob?" The large man got an odd look on his face. He was silent for a moment, as if unsure what to say or how to begin. "He… he's a Guardian,” Matrix began, hesitantly. “And he's... Well..."  
  
Somehow, perhaps due to some kind of intuition or maybe just the look in his eyes, Starwell could tell what he was trying to say. "He's your hero," she murmured quietly.  
  
"Yeah." Matrix unconsciously touched the lower lid of his implanted eye. "Bob came into Mainframe right after my Dad was... After the explosion of the Twin city." Matrix leaned against the wall and stared into the ceiling, "He had been in Mainframe after that, beating games and saving everyone multiple times, with my sister Dot, and Phong, and all of them.  
  
"I wanted to be like him when I was young. Me and Frisket--he’s my dog--would get ourselves into trouble, enter games when we weren't supposed to, wander into the wrong places. I tried my best to be like him."  
  
Matrix explained Megabyte and Hexadecimal, the two resident viruses at the time. He told of the Viral Wars.  
  
He became somber as he spoke about Bob being lost to the Web. And he spoke of the last time he was in Mainframe as the younger brother of Dot, the Little Enzo Matrix.  
  
"But... Because of my Guardian Code, I entered games, along with AndrAIa and Frisket. My last one in Mainframe at the time... We lost.  
  
"We entered game sprite mode, and let the game take us elsewhere instead of being nullified. I lost my eye during that game. For me, AndrAIa and Frisket, it was a very long time before we made it back to Mainframe. I didn't realize that we compiled faster in games, so we had grown up when hardly anyone else did."  
  
He went on. About meeting the Search Engine Ray Tracer, about the old friends, those Net Pirates, about the Web Creature that nearly erased AndrAIa.  
  
Then the Web... "You can't be in the Web without protection," Matrix said, "It would degrade your Bitmap and even your Code. The Web is a nightmare, worse than the games. But, that's were we found Bob."  
  
Bob had been with a group of degraded sprites. Matrix went out about the battle, about Bob saving AndrAIa's life, how Bob had fused with Glitch, and then finding Mainframe.  
  
Matrix yawned. He didn't want to continue with more, he already used "Hours" of game time, and the night had grown on them. "I think that’s enough for now,” he said tiredly. He was already leaning heavily against the wall, but now he settled in a bit more and allowed his eyes to close.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell had listened intently to everything he said, more curious than ever, without interrupting him. It intrigued her to hear about this man's life-story, and everything that had happened in the place he called home... and in his life in general.  
  
Plus maybe it was just fascinating to hear him actually talk a lot for once, since usually it seemed difficult to get more than a grunt or a few short sentences out of him... if that.  
  
Her eyelids grew heavy as she rested her head against the table. She had stopped caring long ago how dirty it seemed. Her sprite-body had already picked up some dust from when she'd been sitting on the floor anyway. "Thanks for sharing," she said in a genuine tone, and then fatigue gave way as she drifted off into sleep for several in-game hours.  
  
And then she dreamed. A dream that turned into a nightmare.  
  
She saw herself in the middle of the forest, eyeing a collection of in-game sprites. They seemed to be talking amongst themselves, and all chatter ceased as she approached.  
  
"User!" One of them shouted, and they attacked her. She screamed in agony as a werewolf bit her on the arm, causing it to hurt like hell.  
  
"That's the least you deserve, User!" another voice shouted. Starwell turned to see Matrix approaching, staring in horror as he aimed Gun at her.  
  
Hannah’s eyes flew wide as she took a hasty step back. "No," she said, "please don't do this!"  
  
Then Bob stepped out of the shadows. "He's right," he said, "you don't belong here, User. Do you know how many sprites you've nullified?"  
  
Bob and Matrix closed in on her as the werewolves surrounded her, preventing her from moving.   
  
Then Gizmo appeared out of nowhere, right at her feet. However, just as she reached for it, it changed shape and grew larger until it took the form of Uncle Frank.  
  
"Stupid girl," her Uncle snapped at her, "I told you not to touch anything! You are getting exactly what you deserve." With that he turned and walked away, leaving Alpha to scream as Matrix tightened his finger on the trigger...  
  
A scream escaped from her throat as she woke up, a high-pitched, blood-curdling sound. She fell out of the chair she had been sleeping in, her sudden shift in weight causing it to break as she landed in a heap on the ground. Her eyes flew wide and her heart pounded in her chest.  
  
It had been a while before Matrix could fall asleep. The rush of the cycle's events past before his eyes, but with the speed increased significantly. The scream broke his sleep and he sprang to his feet. At first he thought it had been AndrAIa, and looked around to try and find her.  
  
Instead he found the young sprite--Starwell, on the floor. The expression on her face he knew well.  
  
"Hey... You alright?" He knelt on the floor. His back hurt from his position against the wall as he slept.  
  
She all but flinched at his sudden nearness, the dream still vivid in her mind. Then she blinked several times, returning to reality as the dream faded from the fore-front of her mind.  
  
Starwell said nothing. Hannah was staggered. Maybe this place was starting to drive her crazy. Her eyes darted around the room, as if wanting to make sure nothing from the dream lingered in the shadows.   
  
Once she was convinced she really was awake (in the middle of another nightmare, really) she sighed and pushed herself into a sitting position. She was surprised at how nonchalant she now felt about being mostly naked in this cell.  
  
"I don't know," she admitted.  
  
Matrix let out a breath, though it appeared to be a sigh.  
  
In the upper wall, the window shown small beams of light. Matrix stood, and watched as it got brighter.  
  
Only one day left.  
  
"I hope Bob is doing alright..." he murmured.  
  
Starwell pushed herself up off the floor and began to walk around the room as much as she could. It felt good to get the blood--or energy--flowing through her body as the horror of the dream continued to fade.  
  
Matrix eyed her for a moment, then returned to his seated position against the wall. The stone felt cold and hard underneath him but he ignored it; he had endured worse during his time in games.  
  
Eventually Starwell stopped, having paced around as much as she wanted to. “Where do you think Bob Is right now?” she asked aloud.  
  
“I don’t know.” Matrix’s shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “I’m sure he’s fine, though. He always is.” That slight spark was visible in his eye again, something that resembled an infallible respect… and possibly something deeper.  
  
The Renegade’s confident expression made Starwell pretty much believe it as well. She nodded. “Yeah… he’s probably okay.” She gazed up at the window, wishing she could actually see outside.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Gizmo remained silent for the most part. After a little while though it did give a series of beeps and whirs, which translated approximately as, [Where are we going, and what is the plan?]  
  
Since a Guardian could only understand the Keytool that he was bonded to, Glitch dutifully translated. Then Bob answered Gizmo’s question, "I'm trying to find that cure for Matrix and Starwell. They've got so little time left."  
  
Bob had finished one errand, which was collecting ingredients for a game-sprite Alchemist. That had involved shopping around for a few crafted items, which included tracking down an obscure trader out in the middle of the forest who sold rare items. The remainder of the ingredients could be found largely in the forest, mainly herbs and other kinds of plants, plus a particular kind of mineral.  
  
Once the task of gathering ingredients was completed, the Guardian returned to the Alchemist and waited while the game-sprite compiled the items into a single source-game, making a new item. “Do you have the payment?” the Alchemist asked when he was nearly finished, eyeing the Guardian from beneath a pair of thick spectacles. The left lens in the glasses had a hairline crack that traveled from one edge of the frame to the other.   
  
“Right here,” Bob replied, handing over a pouch of silver coins. He already had some game-currency on him when he first ReBooted; he had gotten more by looting bodies and selling any useable items he’d found or looted.  
  
The Alchemist nodded and took the money. “It is done.” He handed Bob a jar containing an elaborate mixture, brewed partly by hot water within a cauldron and partly by magic.  
  
“Thanks,” Bob acknowledge politely, as was his nature.  
  
“Good luck in your travels.” The game-sprite tipped his head and vanished into his cottage.  
  
“Yeah… I’ll probably need it,” Bob muttered under his breath. The next step was to find a Witch who lived somewhere deep in the woods.  
  
It ended up taking almost too much game-time to finally get to the game sprite who could activate the quest he was looking for. And the travel had taken almost too long to believe. He was forced to stop and pick a few edible plants that grew in the wild in order to boost his energy levels; a quick check with Glitch confirmed which ones had energy-boosting properties. Not his favorite especially because they tasted funny, but he wasn’t going to be picky.  
  
When he finished his second pick-me-up snack he found that he was around the nearby lake known as "Rainholm". The trees grew considerably thicker here, blocking it from his line of vision, plus there was an eerie fog that gathered just over the lake itself, concealing it even more from view. Nevertheless, he knew it was there, especially when he looked at the map.  
  
"Glitch, Map." One glance at the game map confirmed that he was very close to the Witch's cottage.  
  
A quick look around revealed that, in the distance, he could see it. The cottage was barely noticeable amidst a clump of thick trees and overgrown brush that helped seclude it. He wasted no more time; he ran toward it.  
  
On Bob's other arm, Gizmo was getting more and more restless. It was trying its best to be patient, especially since it knew that Bob knew what he was doing. It was within Alpha Starwell's best interests that the cure be found, after all.  
  
However, it had finally reached a point where it couldn't just sit still and be quiet any longer. It shifted position slightly on Bob's arm, changing shape while the Guardian wasn't looking at it. It formed just enough fingers to be able to flip the bird at Glitch, then whirred a brief burst of communication that translated as, [You are an inferior model!]  
  
Gizmo then returned to its original shape and sat there innocently. As far as Gizmo was concerned, it had been very good up to this point and it had done nothing but wait and worry about Starwell. It just wanted to pull a little mischief.  
  
It was somewhat disappointed when it failed to get a reaction from Glitch. Bob was entirely focused on what he was doing and where he was going; either he didn’t notice what Starwell’s Keytool was doing or he was simply ignoring it.  
  
Bob stopped the door on a small cottage. He wasn't quite sure how to proceed, But...  
  
He knocked on the door. And a smaller, elderly game-sprite opened it only partially.  
  
"Who’s there?" the old woman's voice was sharp and wretched.  
  
"I'm here about the Werewolf Cure," Bob said, accordingly to Game-Script.  
  
"Ah, yes." The door creaked as she unhitched a chain, then it squealed ominously on its hinges as it swung inward. “Come inside,” the old crone welcomed, motioning him forward with a wave of her withered, spider-like hand.  
  
Bob already felt as if he was running a marathon, again. He knew what was coming; he would soon begin a set of new tasks that would require him to go all over the place. But he would do it because it was necessary to save his friends.  
  
For Matrix, and For Starwell...


	12. Chapter 12

Hope for Bob. That's all that could be done.  
  
Matrix was back in his position from yesterday, trying to fall back asleep. The night had been too short.  
  
Starwell spent some time simply looking around. It did little good since their surroundings had not changed at all, and it wasn’t like she could will any of the cracks in the walls to grow larger… or the door to open. Perhaps if she still had Gizmo, those notions wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility. But the way things were now…   
  
She sighed. She had managed to calm herself down and her heart had stopped pounding, but there was no way she was going to get back to sleep at this point.  
  
She then did something she probably would never have done before a few in-Game hours ago. She tentatively stepped closer to Matrix and sat down beside him (near him, but not too close) and crossed her legs.   
  
Starwell stared at him intently for a long moment, lost in thought. Finally, she asked in a very quiet voice, "Do you think I'm a threat? I mean... could I hurt someone without meaning to?" That thought, along with the dream, made her sick.  
  
“Anyone can be a threat," Matrix droned, his eyes still closed, "It all depends." His neck itched horribly. He resisted the urge to scratch it.  
  
Starwell shifted in discomfort. The cold stone floor chilled her legs and feet, even her bottom. She rubbed her arm warily; the bitten area seemed to bother her even more ever since she'd woke up from her dream. Unless that was a sign that the infection was getting worse. She tried not to think about that. Anything could happen between now and the upcoming night, after all.  
  
"I am really, really jealous of you right now," she told him, staring at him in an odd way.  
  
"Heh, and why's that?" Matrix said sarcastically. He gave the spri--Starwell--a look, almost amused and mostly bored and tired.  
  
She gestured at him. "Just look at yourself," she said. "You have much better underwear than I do! It actually covers your torso area, at least part of your arms, and a bit of your legs. You might as well be wearing jammies or something compared to me."  
  
She glanced down at herself again and winced, once again starting to feel self-conscious. "I look like something out a swim-suit catalog, a model for Victoria's Secret." She realized he might not even know what those things were. He wasn't a member of the world outside the computer, after all.  
  
Matrix chuckled. He understood what she meant. "Nothing I haven't seen before, kid."  
  
At the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but see the glow against his collar. It was bright, and more frequent in dimming and brightening than before. He imagined that his neck looked worse than it was, possibly the dark green may have even faded to black. He couldn't tell.  
  
Starwell did her best to ignore the eerie glow emanating from Matrix's neck, and she refused to look at her own arm. She tried to keep the conversation going, such as it was, just so she wouldn't have to focus on the inevitable.  
  
"I guess you must see some pretty weird things in games sometimes," she commented thoughtfully. She shuddered at the thought of some things people in the outside world did or saw in some games. What must the sprites think of some of the things that go on? "What is the worst thing you ever saw in a game?" she wanted to know. She knew her curiosity was really getting the better of her now.  
  
"Worst thing?" Matrix touched his neck lightly, "It was worse than this. Me and AndrAIa were leaving a system via a new game cube drop. This game, it was a rare genre, a Survival Horror.  
  
"The game was Whisper Valley. It had some of the worst things, most of them I couldn't describe nor do I know what they were. The game-sprites, they didn't even resemble sprites. The way the game coded you when you Rebooted... It was nasty and painful by any accounts. The things you had to do to defeat the User were humiliating, some of them I think not even viruses would do."  
  
Matrix resisted a shiver. "What made this worse was that the game had a compulsory reaction add into the coding. A lot of the things I and AndrAIa did in that game... It wasn't right."  
  
Starwell clamped a hand over her mouth, resisting the urge to ask for clarification. She had a feeling it might scar her already disturbed psyche if she asked for a clarification. She was actually starting to feel embarrassed for humankind for subjecting innocent sprites to stuff like that.  
  
Then again, who was she kidding? Humans did stupid and disturbing things to each other all the time.   
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered. Somehow, it just felt... right to apologize on behalf of humankind (or Userkind?) for that, for whatever good it did. "I didn't realize just how bad you guys must have had it." She squeezed her eyes shut, leaning her head against the wall. "You must really hate the User," she murmured. "And you must not like me very much for... um... simulating one." For being one, part of her brain corrected.   
  
"Not your fault," Matrix begrudged, "You can't help your code. None of us can. Figures the Guardians would do something like this. You don't look like an Alpha Sprite anyway."  
  
"So you really think the Guardians made me? Guardians like Bob?" Starwell had gotten the impression from her brief conversations with Bob that the Guardians were some kind of organization within the systems. Perhaps they were similar to social workers and police officers combined, or some such. "Why do you think they would make a sprite to simulate a User?" She of course knew the truth; she was the only one in Mainframe who knew the truth about herself. But she still wanted to draw out his opinion on the matter to understand his thought processes.  
  
"Bob said that the Guardians would simulate games. It would only be a matter of Clock Speed before they would simulate a User. As for creation, I couldn't tell you. I don't even think Bob could.” Matrix leaned forward tilting his head at the young sprite. "You're awfully curious, how come you don't know this stuff?”  
  
Starwell blanched slightly, wondering if she had asked too many questions. "Uh... I'm just very, very new," she stammered, hoping he would accept that as an explanation. "I don't even know what's happening to me or why. All I know is that I started out in my Uncle's system, and… well, long story short, I ended up here. I just..." She lowered her gaze. "Want to get back there so I can go home and see my family again." And be human again.  
  
"Hmm." Matrix shrugged, "Whatever." He softly itched his neck.  
  
Starwell felt slightly relieved. "I miss my family," she said, continuing along that train of thought. It kept the subject away from her ignorance of the system-life and prevented any further revelation of her naivety at the moment.  
  
"I mean," she went on, holding her sore arm close to her body, "well... they're not perfect. My mom's a bit of a drama queen sometimes and Dad acts like a know-it-all… don’t even get me started about Greg, my brother. He is such a brat. But… at least we're a family."  
  
She paused. She had no idea why she was talking to him about this stuff. Maybe it was because he had spilled his guts to her, and there was no longer any harm in it.  
  
"I was staying with my Uncle when... he went outside for a moment," she said slowly. "He told me not to touch... well, something in his system. Next thing I know, I'm... different, and I'm running away from somebody who was chasing after me, and I ended up in a different system… eventually I ended up going to Mainframe."  
  
"My Dad was nullified when I was young. I never knew my Mom," said Matrix, "As a kid, it was just my older sister Dot, my dog Frisket, me and Bob. After that, you know."  
  
"Sounds like you've had a rough life all around," Starwell said thoughtfully. "Can't even imagine what any of that is like. How in the world do you keep going?"  
  
Matrix didn’t even have to think about that answer. "I just do,” he said simply. “I have to.”  
  
Starwell figured she could understand that. She supposed the main reason she had stayed sane in all of this and managed to press forward was because she simply kept finding ways to move on. To keep going, to endure. "I guess I get now why you're so... rough around the edges," she said carefully. "You don't seem so bad, though."  
  
Matrix gave a half smile, "And you're not so clumsy as you seem."   
  
"Thanks, I guess," Starwell said with a little shrug. She then laughed a little as a random thought popped into her mind. "I remember this one game called Knights of the Old Republic," she said thoughtfully. "I don't know if you've ever heard of it... or played it, but there are characters in that game who believe any kind of armor or clothing restricts movement."  
  
She indicated herself thoughtfully. "I guess I'd make a wonderful Echani right now, if I had any talent in fighting."  
  
"There are plenty of games like that. Most of the time, they're games like this one, where you can increase skills and earn experience." Matrix leaned against the wall.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose," Starwell said simply. She yawned and found herself growing sleepy again. Apparently the shock and fear from the dream had worn off, more or less.  
  
She nestled back against the wall, allowing her eyes to drift shut. It was hard to get comfortable, but sleepiness managed to overcome the physical discomfort.  
  
Somehow, over the next few hours or so, she had shifted periodically in her light slumber in an attempt to find a more comfortable position, and ended up finding one. Her head was resting against Matrix's shoulder when she finally drifted off into a deeper sleep.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Bob was on the run again, collecting more ingredients. He’d memorized the list of items he needed to acquire, although the data was also stored in Glitch’s memory.  
  
Gizmo was still bored and it decided to make another attempt to get some kind of reaction from Glitch. Gizmo thought about it for a few microseconds, and then it softly whirred a message that would approximately translate as, [Hey Glitch, I bet your mother was a snow blower and your father was a vacuum cleaner. Your Mom blows, and your Dad sucks.]  
  
Glitch, however, did not react. In many cases it wasn't meant to react to situations unless called upon or in an emergency. At times it would converse with its own kind, but usually they only spoke among themselves in times of dire need or to exchange greetings when they had not seen each other for a lengthy period of time.  
  
That didn't mean it wasn't becoming annoyed with the alien Keytool. It simply chose to remain silent, as its main function within a game was to stand by to assist its Guardian.  
  
[What's the matter, Glitch?] Gizmo beeped and whirred in its own language. [Are you living up to your name? Are you too glitchy to be of use? Has a glitch impaired your communication protocols?]  
  
Glitch gave warning. But not to Gizmo. Bob stopped running. "He- What?!"  
  
Gizmo fell silent and remained completely still, analyzing its surroundings. What was Glitch warning Bob about?  
  
"Glitch, shock. Just a little." And an electric shock went through Gizmo. Just a little, not painful or incapacitating.  
  
Gizmo let out an indignant squawk, then fell silent and still. It briefly entertained the idea of some form of retaliation, but what good would that do?   
  
It finally came to the conclusion that the best course of action was to simply be still and be silent, at least until it could be returned to Alpha Starwell. Any further mischief would only result in trouble at this point and would impede the process of finding the ingredients for the cure. That did not mean it didn't feel a slight grudge toward Glitch, however. It also didn't mean that Gizmo wouldn't give Starwell an earful of a vent later when they re-united. At least she listened to it.   
  
It briefly analyzed its own thought processes and feelings, attempting to determine why it had acted the way it did beyond mere boredom. It then realized something; it simply missed Alpha, and it was acting out. Plus... in a way it didn't like riding around on Bob, especially since it had to ride around on the opposite arm of Glitch. Gizmo did not belong there, period. It felt like a trespasser. It belonged on Alpha's arm, and it knew it would personally throw a fit if Glitch ended up on her other arm. Each Keytool to its own sprite, after all. That was Gizmo's opinion.  
  
[Glitch,] Gizmo beeped in the language of the Keytools, [I apologize for bothering you. I won't insult you further.] And it meant the apology sincerely.  
  
Glitch said nothing, but the apology had been accepted.  
  
Bob stopped at a cave entrance, the largest one he’d seen yet in this game. This was one of the Caves of Typhoon that exist in-Game. While normally it was one of the Main Quest areas, this was a specific case. Bob unsheathed his sword, and ventured inside.  
  
The darkness within was almost tangible. It was thick, enough so that he couldn't see his hand merely inches from his face.  
  
"Glitch, flashlight." The Keytool shifted, and it brightened. The cave was fairly standard for game caves. He just had to go deeper.  
  
It was a long time, likely game-hours before he finally reached the chamber he needed. The entrance was a huge door with strange designs.  
  
Gizmo eventually decided to break the silence with a simple query. It beeped and whirred a question at Bob, asking how many more ingredients needed to be collected before they could complete the Quest and search for Starwell.   
  
It didn't even mention Matrix's name. Gizmo may have settled its differences with Glitch (especially since Gizmo could acknowledge that it had only itself to blame for that spat) but it still disliked the big, brutish sprite.  
  
"Just one more,” Bob responded after Glitch translated, without looking at either Keytool. In truth he was not looking forward to this, especially since this particular ingredient would be the most difficult to get. Not to mention the most gruesome.  
  
The chamber was huge. Glitch's light didn't even penetrate three feet of the deeper darkness.  
  
Bob could hear something moving in the dark. He could hear claws as they scrapped against stone. He could hear the wet breathing of something waiting...  
  
Gizmo let out a small squawk of anticipation. It was, for once, silently grateful that Starwell wasn't present. As cruel and self-centered as it might sound, it figured that if Glitch or Bob bought it in the cave at least they weren't Starwell.  
  
Gizmo supposed that in a way... it didn't really care about anyone else. The very reason it existed was because of Starwell's presence/creation in the system she had appeared within. While it couldn't exactly say it understood what she was or where she came from (how could any program understand anything beyond the systems?) it understood what she truly was, at least to a limited extent.   
  
That meant she was special, unique. Its sole purpose was to assist her, to give her access to certain command functions and access certain things within Systems that not even Guardians could access, though only at her command and in her presence.   
  
It knew that it would probably cease to exist if she ever got back to the hardware device that would send her home, because then its purpose would be fulfilled and its presence would no longer be required. But nevertheless, it had to follow its programming.  
  
It supposed that... it loved Alpha Starwell. If it meant helping her and seeing her get home, which was what she obviously wanted, it would gladly face de-compilation for her.  
  
All of a sudden, the creature appeared out of the darkness.   
  
The werewolves were nothing compared to this. This wolf-like creature was huge, and completely lacked any humanity features, Bob wasn't even sure it could be related to wolves either.  
  
The Beast of Legends roared, a Feat that shook the room.  
  
Bob tensed; he nearly dropped his sword, The monster was even larger than he’d feared. For a moment he wondered if he should have gotten some armor upgrades when he still had the chance, but it was too late now. He simply had to hope that his current equipment and Keytool would be enough.  
  
The Beast snarled and charged. It came after him, its eyes glowing like eerie red orbs in the darkness as it opened its mouth wide. Its prey moved to one side, causing the Beast to miss ripping into Bob's shoulder with its fangs, just barely.  
  
It saw its prey move swiftly and raise its sword. The Beast narrowed its eyes calculatedly, then it stamped its foot on the ground with enough force to make Bob stagger.  
  
The Beast then swung around, before Bob could react, using one of its massive forepaws to pin the Guardian against the cave floor with considerable force, crushing the wind out of him. The Beast grinned, knowing it had its prey trapped.  
  
On Bob's arm, Gizmo shrieked at him. It seemed to try and pry itself off of his arm, wanting to run for cover or something.  
  
"Glitch! Blowtorch!" The Keytool changed, and burnt a hole into the Beast's paw/hand.   
  
The Beast roared in pain as the flesh on its forepaw smoldered. It took several steps back as it seethed in agony, waiting for the effects of the fire to die down.  
  
Then it turned on Bob again, more furious than ever. It used its good forepaw to reach down and pick up a good-sized chunk of rock, and then it threw it at Bob.  
  
That was when Gizmo succeeded in separating itself from Bob's arm. It couldn't go far, but it did vanish into a small crevice nearby.  
  
Bob jumped away, and hit the ground head first. The rock impacted somewhere on the far wall. He sat up, his vision disoriented and ears ringing. His processor had been thrown through a loop. His shoulder had started to ache, and thank the User that the teeth hadn't sunk into flesh but merely dragged the shoulder-armor off.  
  
The Guardian tried to stand, but the floor wouldn't stop moving.  
  
The Beast continued to stamp its feet as it moved, using its massive bulk and strength to its advantage. It hardly considered Bob a threat, especially considering how small he was. But it was also smart enough to understand that he was intelligent as well; the prey should not be underestimated.  
  
It continued to shake the ground as it moved, intentionally keeping its prey off-balance. It then let out another roar, which knocked the Guardian completely off of his feet.  
  
The Beast then charged toward him, picking him up by the legs and holding him up-side down for a moment. The Beast grinned at him hungrily, and then it lifted him up higher and opened its mouth wide, getting ready to eat him.  
  
Bob didn't even have the focus to fight the grip. As he was dropped into the maw, Bob said one last thing: "Glitch, Anything!"


	13. Chapter 13

The Keytool changed into a long double bladed sword. It caught the Beast in the throat, and Bob held a grip on the handle. He would not fall, and the Beast could not swallow.  
  
The Beast couldn't make a sound except for a strangled sound and jagged breathing. It staggered, bumping its shoulder against the solid rock wall. The sword remained in place like a spike that wouldn't allow stubborn prey to be swallowed.  
  
It then did the only thing it could think to do. It opened its mouth wide and lurched itself forward, using a combination of retching and the forward momentum of its body to spit Bob and the troublesome sword back out.  
  
Gizmo observed all of this from its hiding place nearby. It's self-preservation protocols reminded it that if Bob and Glitch perished, it would be stuck here alone without any way of getting back to Starwell or finding her. It needed Bob to succeed in order to save Starwell and to get back to her.  
  
So it did the only thing it could think to do; it followed the last command that Starwell had given it, a command that was still in its memory buffer. It went into defensive/protective mode, changing into the same electrical rope that it had become to tie up the werewolf that had attacked its owner some time ago in the forest.  
  
However, this Beast was much, much larger than one of those werewolves. Gizmo could only form a length just long enough to stretch itself around the Beast's hind legs, securing the ankles together. It was, however, just enough to make the Beast fall down flat on its face with a resounding boom that seemed to shake the entire cavern.  
  
Several chunks of rock were shaken loose from the ceiling, clattering on the ground. One of them hit the Beast between the shoulder blades and bounced off. It didn't hurt the Beast much but it did sting a bit.  
  
Bob blinked. He felt nauseous.  
  
He stood up and used the double-bladed Glitch sword as a leaning stick. He swayed, his legs buckled.  
  
"Glitch, Sonic pulse. 180 Radius." The blade changed into its original Keytool form. Bob allowed himself to land on his knees. The Keytool released an electrical shriek. The Beast's head and upper torso was in that radius.  
  
The attack had the desired effect; the Beast was effected. The shock took a small portion of the Beast's health and left it mildly stunned for a moment. It blinked its massive eyelids a few times, trying to shake off the effects.  
  
It had a powerful sense of Will, however; it quickly recovered and then released another deafening roar. It used its good paw to reach forward and grip the ground, dragging itself across the cave floor within reach of Bob.  
  
Gizmo was doing the only thing it could do at the moment; continue to hold itself securely around the Beast's ankles in its current rope-like form. However, it was hindering the Beast's progress, at least. Plus the floor had stopped shaking since the Beast could no longer stomp around.  
  
The Beast managed to drag itself within grabbing distance of Bob. It snarled, then it reached out with its good forepaw and gripped Bob's legs tightly.  
  
"Glitch, Sword!"  
  
The Keytool changed. Bob stabbed the Glitch-Sword into the ground, and held on.  
  
The Beast growled in aggravation. It maintained its hold on Bob's legs, using its own momentum and (gingerly) its wounded forepaw to pull itself forward, just a little closer. Then it rested the forearm of its wounded forepaw across Bob's legs, pinning him in place.  
  
Then it raised its good paw high above its head, then moved to bring it down on Bob with significant force.  
  
"Glitch Double-Blade." The Keytool changed in accordance.  
  
The Beast roared and gripped Bob between the shoulder blades, ripping off a portion of his body armor. It then raked a couple of claws against his back.  
  
Bob cried out. He yanked the Double-Glitch Blade out of the ground, and stabbed into the paw/hand that held him.  
  
The Beast snarled in pain and fury. The Guardian’s action had made its already wounded forepaw more useless than it had been already, and the Electric-Rope-Gizmo continued to hold its ankles together securely.  
  
It drew its mouth close to Bob, releasing a deafening roar that shook the cavern and prevented him from finding his footing. The Beast then opened its mouth in an attempt to snap him off the ground in a mouthful.  
  
Bob's balance was ruined. He couldn't get up properly. He did the first thing that came to mind, he held the Glitch Sword up, blade first.  
  
The shaking floor ended up giving the Beast a disadvantage in this manner; its own aim was off, and it ended up biting down on the sword. This caused the blade to rip into its mouth, causing a bit more injury.  
  
The Beast grunted in pain, momentarily stopping its attack as it attempted to regain its composure. It then growled and decided to focus its attention on the rope that bound its ankles together. It twisted its body around and sank its teeth into the rope.  
  
The ground stopped shaking. The rope released its grip on the Beast's ankles, and it dangled from the Beast's mouth like a collection of glowing, wadded string.  
  
"Gizmo!" Bob yelled, only catching glimpses of the changed Keytool in his wavering vision, "Guardian Protocol 452, Accept Command: Anything!"  
  
If Gizmo had had eyeballs, it probably would have blinked. It knew it was being spoken to but it had no idea what Bob was talking about or what he was referring to, although it did get a general idea; it needed to do something. Now.  
  
It retained its current shape; it released an electrical jolt that caused the Beast to loosen its hold, then it snaked out from between the Beast's teeth and matter-of-factly wrapped itself around the giant mouth, forcing it to close tight.  
  
The Beast's eyes widened. It shook its head violently, trying to shake it off, but it would not budge.  
  
Bob stumbled up. He shut his eyes to regain some composure. He held the Glitch Sword in front of him, and charged. He wasn't sure he was going the right way until the blade sank into something soft and furry.  
  
The Beast could no longer roar. It had just barely stood up when it felt something sharp pierce into its side. It released an angry snort through its flared nostrils, and then it bent down and wrapped its front arms around Bob, pressing him against its chest and lifting him into the air in a tight bear-hug.  
  
Bob had one thought left to use, and he knew that this was going to be the biggest Game-Breaker he had ever done. "Glitch," he gasped, "Drill." The Keytool changed, and Bob used it to its fullest.  
  
This resulted in one of the most disgusting things that could happen in a game, especially considering the Beast was programmed to contain blood. The drill was inserted through the upper torso of the Beast, causing the fur to fly, followed by bits of flesh and blood. Blood splattered in all directions as the Beast sustained a mortal wound. It released Bob and then collapsed on its side, in a big, bloody, furry heap. It inhaled and exhaled raggedly through its nostrils, still alive but heavily wounded. It's eyes were wide, angry, and for once, fearful as well.  
  
It did not move. It simply stared at Bob in open fear and hatred as Gizmo's rope-form continued to glow eerily around its snout, holding its mouth securely shut.  
  
"Glitch, Sword." The Keytool changed. Bob stumbled towards the Beast. The look on his face was beyond pity. It was sorrowful, regretful. "I am so, so sorry."  
  
Bob lifted the sword, and slashed down. His eyes were closed, resolute.  
  
The Beast's eyes went wide and blind as the killing blow took effect. Blood gushed dramatically from the inflicted wound, splattering onto Bob’s arm and pooling onto the ground around his feet. The Beast then went completely still, its lungs exhaling as its final breath escaped its lungs in a strained sigh.  
  
When Bob finally opened his eyes, the Beast was already dead and its eyes had closed. He let out a puff of breath and allowed himself to fall to his knees. The Guardian took a few moments to regain some of his stamina as well as his composure.  
  
Finally, he stirred. "Gizmo, come on,” he said in a tired voice. “We've got something to complete."  
  
Gizmo didn't respond immediately. It maintained its position for a moment longer, as if wanting to make sure the Beast was truly dead. Once this fact was confirmed on its sensors, it finally untangled itself from the mouth and slithered onto the floor.  
  
It then returned to its normal, Keytool shape, right in front of the sprite. Bob gently picked up Gizmo and returned it to his free arm.  
  
Bob eyed the enormous corpse for a long moment. He then took a dagger from his armor belt, knowing that he still had to collect the final ingredient for the cure; the dead creature’s heart. He grunted in displeasure as he braced himself.  
  
He plunged the sharp tip of the blade into the furry pelt, slicing through the skin and the muscle tissues underneath. He grunted in disgust as his blade tore through the flesh, becoming bloodied as he did so. He struggled a bit as the blade raked across a couple of ribs.  
  
Finally he managed to get the area of the body open enough so he could insert his hands. Unfortunately he had to remove his gauntlets to do this, for they were too bulky for this… plus he had to feel for the heart.  
  
He was extremely grateful for the fact that he was low on energy, if only because it meant his stomach didn’t have much in it. Otherwise the putrid stench of blood and sliced flesh, along with the grisly deed, might have made him barf.  
  
After a few moments he finally retrieved the heart. It was a large, lifeless clump of flesh that almost seemed to beat one final time in his hands before it went completely still. He grimaced as he wrapped it carefully and put it into his backpack along with the other ingredients.  
  
He turned away from the corpse then, refusing to look in its direction again. He just wanted to get out of the Cave.  
  
It was game-hours before Bob finally exited the Cave. He had fallen and stumbled many times trying to leave, and he used a Glitch-stick form in order to walk properly. The deed that Bob had to do, it had been done.  
  
The moment he was outside, his processor registered horror. The Day had turned to Night.  
  
"I'm too late..." Bob murmured, and then collapsed at the entrance of the Cave.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Matrix awoke from a dreamless sleep. He was uncomfortable, his back ached and his neck had a crick and his throat had gone numb. He touched the skin along his windpipe. It still felt the same, but the feeling of itching, or of anything, had left it entirely. He glanced up and looked at the window. The light was fading outside, which meant the sun was setting. The day was nearly over.  
  
He cursed. He gently shook Starwell, who was napping on his shoulder. "Kid, you're going to need to get up."  
  
Starwell awoke after a moment. She blinked, and then felt a bit sheepish when she realized she had been sleeping against Matrix's shoulder. She stiffened, leaning away from him and scooting off a bit. "Huh?" she said, blinking. She then grimaced; her arm felt like it was fire. She glanced down at herself, and she gasped with horror when she realized that almost every inch of her exposed skin was glowing eerily.  
  
"What's happening to me?!" she cried out as she scrambled to her feet. She held her arms away from herself and splayed her digits as she stared at her palms. She get a little shriek, looking as if she expected her infected skin to explode any second.  
  
"Kid, calm down," Matrix said carefully. He stood and faced her. "It isn't going to be easy. You need to take a nano to relax."  
  
The girl continued to stare at herself with widened eyes. Her overly exposed body revealed just how far and completely the infection had overtaken her. It was no longer something that she could put out of her mind or pretend wouldn't happen.  
  
Bob wasn't coming. No miracle was coming to stop this. Maybe part of her had even believed that somehow this wouldn't happen. But apparently, it was happening.  
  
She shrank back, clasping a hand over her mouth as her eyes went saucer-wide. What's going to happen to me? She couldn't help it. She was very, very close to completely freaking out. Her entire form felt strange and he had no idea what would happen if she… changed. Terror shot through her chest as she imagined it being painful, possibly even affecting her mind in some way.   
  
This was something she had never experienced before, nor did she ever dream she would have to endure anything like this. That just made it all the more scary.  
  
Matrix walked towards Starwell carefully. "Kid- Starwell, look at me,” he said in the same way that Dot would have said to him when he was small, and when he need to take a moment, "You need to breathe. Input and output, okay? Do you understand me?"  
  
Starwell squeezed her eyes shut. She bit down on her index finger to keep herself from screaming, and the sharp pinch of her teeth against her skin gave her a temporary distraction. It was enough; she then focused on her breathing for a moment.  
  
Then she lowered her hand... and grabbed Matrix's hand, as if for comfort or at least something solid to focus on, a presence to keep her in the here-and-now.  
  
Matrix permitted the touch and held her hand gently. "Just breathe,” he urged. He glanced at the window, noting that the light had faded completely. He took a breath. "You're going to be fine, kid." He gritted his teeth.  
  
Starwell had managed to calm down when she felt something erupt inside of her. She gasped, releasing Matrix's hand and taking several steps back. She groaned, grabbing her head as it began to throb painfully.  
  
Then she screamed as every nerve in her body seemed to pulse. What was going to happen was going to happen any nano now.  
  
Were Matrix wise or even cowardly, he would have stood back or even banged the bars on the cell door for help or something of that nature.  
  
Instead...  
  
Matrix was in front of Starwell in an instant, "Kid, look at me. Come on! Look at me, I need you to focus on me." He placed his hands on her shoulders, "You need to focus on me kid!" He dug his fingers into her skin just long enough to distract her, to get her attention.. Compared to him she seemed so small, yet that could change any nano if the infection finished engulfing her. He hoped she had the willpower to fight it.  
  
Starwell grunted, inhaling sharply as she looked up at him. Her entire form was trembling now, and she stiffened under his touch. "W-what's happening?" she asked, her voice shaking. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.  
  
"Just focus on me." Matrix was processing rapidly, he need something to distract her, "Not long after I returned to Mainframe, there was a mass infection on the Net," He didn't bother to add anyone else, he had to keep pushing his point, "Everyone got infected, including me. I had to fight did, I did fight it and I won. You need to fight yours, Starwell, you have to fight it."  
  
There was a distant discomfort at the back of Matrix's mind.  
  
She gritted her teeth, staring up into his eyes. "What's happening?" she asked, her voice strained. "Am I... b-becoming something e-else? C-can I s-stop it if I f-fight it, or is it g-going to h-happen anyway?"  
  
"I don't know..." Matrix muttered. He gave Starwell a squeeze of the shoulders, "I don't know. Just focus on me, just focus." The distant discomfort was becoming a bit painful, and Matrix took in and released a deep breath. He couldn't fall to it. Not now.  
  
"Where is B-Bob?" she asked, her shaky voice taking on an almost whiny edge. "And where's Gizmo? If they were here..."   
  
Another shudder rolled through her body. She was starting to feel drained, as if the infection was eating away at her willpower. Her shoulders slumped beneath Matrix's hands and her head dropped down. Her knees weakened and she fell against his chest.  
  
Matrix caught her, and knelt to the ground. There was a jolt, and he sucked in air. The distant pain had become a throbbing, and he could feel something cold under his bitmap. He clenched his teeth.  
  
Starwell's eyes suddenly flew wide. Somehow she knew deep inside of her that she could no longer fight whatever was about to happen. She grunted and struggled weakly against Matrix's arms.  
  
"J-just let go." She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away from him.  
  
"I..." He could hear a pounding in his ears. He clenched his teeth. Matrix let go, and backed away. The throbbing pain sent a wave, and he nearly lost balance, but he refused to let it come. He would not let it take him.  
  
Starwell screamed as her entire form was engulfed by something she couldn't explain or describe. Her body then reconfigured itself and changed shape, growing somewhat larger and more muscular while still retaining some of its feminine shape.  
  
Bare skin was replaced with light-colored fur in a rippling effect, her head formed a snout and pointed ears, and her tail-bone sprouted a large, bushy tail. She huffed and puffed, collapsing on all fours. The pads of her paws ached slightly against the chilly stone floor, and she felt her claws digging against the solid ground.  
  
Her eyes finally opened. She looked around, feeling an almost feral instinct well up inside of her. Starwell bared her teeth, feeling a strong sense of... hunger. She thirsted for in-game blood, and she needed to sink her teeth into something. Anything.   
  
"Kid..." Matrix stared. He kept his implanted eye on the creature that had replaced Starwell, a target but there was nothing to stop it or deter it.  
  
Another wave of cold past through him. He forced himself not to shake. "Starwell!" He said to the beast, "Come on kid! Tell me your still there!"


	14. Chapter 14

The creature turned sharply in his direction, red eyes wide and feral as the mouth opened to reveal a row of razor sharp teeth and a set of long, pointed fangs. She stood stiffly on her legs, holding her forearms out for balance as she adjusted her weight on her legs and with her tail.

Once she adjusted to her new body weight and mass she focused on Matrix again. Her mouth opened and released a vicious snarl.  
  
But then recognition seemed to flicker in those blood-red eyes. She looked Matrix over carefully, then closed her mouth and sat down on the floor. She wrapped her arms around herself and huddled on the ground, letting out a small whimper.  
  
The hunger continued to burn in her chest. But she had grown to like Matrix, and she knew him. She refused to do anything to him, even if the thirst for blood gnawed at her stomach like a fire demanding to be quenched.  
  
Matrix eyed her cautiously. He could tell that she recognized him and that she had enough willpower to resist attacking, no matter what her instincts urged her to do in this infected state. He moved a few careful steps toward the beast. He didn't think it was smart to touch her like this.  
  
"We'll have to wait this out," He said softly.  
  
A pain burst shattered his concentration and he jerked back. He cried out, and dug his hands into his head. No! No! No! He couldn't fall to this! He couldn't!  
  
Starwell's ears flattened against her skull and she blinked rapidly. "M-Matrix!" she cried out. Her voice sounded low and gravelly, quite odd even to her own ears, but at least she could speak. She inhaled sharply and stood, gritting her teeth as she fought against the pangs of hunger that threatened to consume her. "Matrix!" she said again. "It... it'll… be… okay." Somehow, it'll be okay... it has to be.  
  
Matrix could have sworn he heart Starwell speak, but the throbbing seemed to mix every sound into a torrent. He felt feverish, and he shook in the suddenly chilled air.  
  
Pain. It blinded him, made him numb. He collapsed.  
  
Inside, he fought with every once of will and strength. The infection was deep, and it pulled him deeper with every wave.  
  
He jerked up, cried out a name. For a moment, the pain ceased.  
  
Then the infection consumed him.  
  
The change was fast, but it was an eternity to Matrix. He felt as his code shifted and his bitmap was changed to match. The fur that came was dark, nearly black if it weren't for the slight greenish shine, his muscle expanded and grew. Claws and fanged teeth came, a tail. He was beyond recognizable as a sprite by the end, which the exception of only two things. His yellow implanted eye, and the tattoo on his left shoulder.  
  
He was ravished. There had never been such a desire for energy of any kind before.  
  
Matrix’s consciousness could dimly control himself. It felt too much like a dream, and he felt too alien. He found that he could not stand up right, and was forced on all fours. He caught the first scent in the room. It was Starwell, and though he needed a target, he wasn't about to attack her. On the other hand...  
  
Matrix rammed right into the bars of the cell. The door broke on impact, wood splintering and metal bars warping and snapping into pieces as he passed right through like a living tank.  
  
Food was near, and he wanted to get at it.

Matrix attacked the first Guard he found. It was an easy kill, and the Game-sprite had gone down without a fight. He would have settled for that, if more hadn't come. He slew the next one without looking and slaughtered the third and forth.  
  
There was a ping of emotion. He blinked and stopped for a moment. This emotion... He couldn't quite pin it down. It was...

Urgency. There was something urgent, but what? Images swirled in his head. Someone, a person, blue skin, silvery hair, that's it! He needed to find--  
  
An arrow pierced his shoulder and his thoughts were lost.  
  
He killed the guard bowman. And he relished his feed, absorbing the sprite’s energy through his mouth as his tongue lapped up blood and bits of flesh. The taste buds of the feral creature he’d become relished the taste of such gruesome feeding.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell's eyes flew wide when the newly formed creature burst out of the cell like a charging bull, breaking through the bars and going right out.   
  
The feral instinct of a werewolf and the hunger for energy was still present within her, yet somehow her mind remained coherent enough so that she could fight it and still think rationally. She was alert and self-aware enough to be hesitant and cautious.  
  
After a moment she tentatively moved through the newly broken door, then she began a slow pursuit of Matrix's wolf form. He was already out of sight but she was confident she could find him. Her sense of smell had enhanced to the point where she could follow him no matter how far ahead he got.  
  
Perhaps along the way... she could find something to sink her teeth into. Even if the thought made the human side of her want to gag.

Starwell moved at a slower pace; she still ran on all-fours but she was in no particular hurry. In truth, she didn't want to risk a confrontation with the larger, stronger creature if she happened to encounter it. Hadn't Matrix said that they would just have to wait this out? If so, she didn't want him to get too far ahead of her, but she didn't feel like getting too close yet, either. She wanted them both to rendezvous when they returned to normal.  
  
Which... if this infection was anything like the stories told in werewolf lore, they wouldn't change back until daylight. Meaning it was going to be one long night.  
  
She sighed and picked up the pace. She kept going until she heard a ruckus just up ahead; her sensitive ears could detect the sounds of battle.  
  
By the time she burst into a different hallway where the Matrix werewolf was, all of the guards were dead and the creature was already feasting.  
  
She took a tentative step into the room, glancing around warily. "M-Matrix?" she spoke. "Matrix!" She waved a paw, trying to get his attention. Could he understand her?  
  
0o0o0o0o0o0

There was a distant voice. He knew it, didn't he? He looked up, and found Starwell. For a moment, all he saw was a creature he shouldn't attack. He blinked, and remembered that Young sprite, who had turned before he did.  
  
He dropped what he was doing. A swelling of realization came over him. What had he been doing? What had he done? His eyes widened. He had to remember, he had to fight this. He couldn't just let some game code control him. A quick glance at the gore on his front paws gave him a clue. He felt something warm and moist which dampened the fur on his chin and jaw line; he instinctively ran his tongue across it. He shuddered when he realized it was blood, none of it his own.  
  
He tried to speak to Starwell, but no words came. Just beastly sounds. He wasn't able to say anything.  
  
Starwell hesitated, her silver-colored wolf-form moving into a crouch. She wasn’t interested in fighting, she was simply being cautious. After a moment she took a few tentative steps forward, eyeing him intently. Her mouth moved; it was very difficult for her to form speech, even if her mind still processed and functioned just fine. She attempted to form a sentence, but mostly just noise came out.  
  
She growled, sitting down on the floor and tried to focus. Come on, she told herself firmly. You managed to say his name. Get it together!  
  
"M-Matrix," she managed, "we... need to... get..." Her speech parameters stopped cooperating after that. Her sentence ended up with a growl instead of anything coherent.  
  
He knew what she meant. We need to leave.  
  
He gestured to Starwell, motioning for her to follow him. Her ears flattened against her skull at the sight of the blood on his forepaw; to make it worse, the scent just made the hunger within her worse.   
  
He darted away from his animalistic slaughter, breaking through doors when he had too. One benefit of feeding was that he had more energy than ever, and he could focus on the task at hand a little better.  
  
Another Guard appeared, and Matrix pounced on him. Code overrode his reasoning, and for a moment he would have tried to eat the game-sprite. He pulled back. No, he couldn’t go a killing spree. Even if it was just one. He bounded away, and hoped that Starwell was behind him as back-up if he fell to the game's coding again.  
  
The She-Wolf followed after him as they sprinted through hallways and different rooms. She had no idea where they were going, but she knew that Matrix didn't really know either.  
  
They kept going for some time, defending themselves when they had to, although Starwell barely had to do anything except follow and stay close. Despite the intense hunger that burned inside her, that was how she preferred it anyway; she did not wish to kill or harm.  
  
Eventually they came to one final hallway where Matrix charged against one last, particularly thick door. It was made of heavy metal and it was enormous; it required him to ram it twice before he could get it to budge.  
  
And then they were outside.  
  
It was still nighttime as the moon shone overhead, along with a sky filled with stars. Had the situation been different, or had Hannah still been a newly arrived sprite in her first game, she would have taken the time to admire just how lovely and detailed everything was, and how real it all was. It was just like home, really.  
  
Instead, she trotted up beside Matrix, who had stopped as if to get his bearings.  
  
She worked her mouth again, releasing a growl, and then managed to speak a couple of words. "Bob. Where?" There, that was it. As long as she focused and kept it short and simple, she could actually talk. Even if it did sound like she was trying to hack up a hairball every time she did.  
  
Matrix looked at Starwell. They did need to find Bob, didn't they? For a moment, fear gripped on Matrix. What if he attacked Bob? What if he accidentally deleted Bob? Matrix shook himself. He could worry about that later. They needed to get out of the city.  
  
He bounded off in a random direction.  
  
She followed him, staying just a few feet behind him as they proceeded through the city. Thankfully there weren't many game sprites wandering around at night, and none appeared to be in their way at the moment.   
  
Starwell regretted the fact that she didn't know Bob's scent. It would have made it a lot easier to track the Guardian and figure out where he'd gone.  
  
As they continued to run the hunger continued to gnaw within her. Her energy levels were getting low and she felt a strong need to kill a game sprite, just one.  
  
She fought against it. She wouldn't let herself become a monster.  
  
However, a sudden thought caused her to stop dead in her tracks, literally. What if her hunger became so bad that she ended up attacking Bob if they found him? At least Matrix had had a chance to feed... she hadn't.  
  
She remained completely still, momentarily forgetting about Matrix as she focused on her hunger. Her eyes slowly turned in the direction of a Game sprite standing on a corner. It was a sprite who had the form of a man, and he appeared to be selling something, possibly illegal by the city laws.  
  
She contemplated the sprite for a long moment. If she pounced upon a sprite doing something illegal... would that be so bad? She bared her teeth hungrily as she slowly edged toward it....  
  
Matrix stopped the moment he found that the second set of feet weren't following. For the briefest moment, he couldn't remember who was supposed to be following and to where.  
  
He blinked. Starwell wasn't with him. The sprite must have gotten herself lost somewhere. He bounded back.  
  
Instead of a sprite, he found another beast. It took a moment for him to remember that the beast was Starwell, and even longer before he could figure out what she was doing.  
  
By then, it was too late.  
  
Starwell took down the game sprite in a single pounce, her teeth biting into his flesh and reveling in the taste of blood that flowed over her tongue. She inhaled the scent of the corpse, anticipating her meal. She consumed the dead sprite quickly, feeling her energy levels replenish themselves adequately. The hunger was satisfied, even if barely.  
  
Then her instinct lessened and her mind retained its self-awareness. Her eyes flew wide as she examined the remains of the corpse. She remembered tasting the blood vividly, and eating this sprite… and she had enjoyed it. She made a gut-wrenching sound, clutching at her throat. What kind of sick creature had she become that she could actually enjoy that? How could she even let herself do that?  
  
Matrix cleared his throat, or at least as close to it he could without choking.  
  
The She-Wolf's head turned sharply in his direction. She self-consciously licked her lips, grimacing as she once again enjoyed the taste of the blood that lingered there.  
  
"Bob," she all but croaked. She sucked in another breath and focused on finishing her broken sentence. "Us. Find." She looked at him indicatively, trying to imply that she wanted him to take the lead again.  
  
Matrix nodded, and bounded off. The coding forced them to follow its rules, no matter the cost.  
  
They bounded around a corner, and ran into the wrong crowd. There were shouts, both of fear and of battle. Arrows flew, and guards came up with swords and shields. An arrow struck Matrix's chest. Thanks to the endurance he gained as a were-creature, it only served to impede. Worse, his rationality fled.   
  
He began his attack.  
  
Starwell released a feral snarl, crouching low against the ground. She wasn't sure who was attacking--gangsters, a mob, what. She simply saw Matrix lose control and begin to attack after he was attacked.  
  
She yowled as an arrow struck her in the side. Her teeth whipped around to yank it out, and then her own animal fury overcame her, just for a moment. She snarled and went wild.  
  
Bodies flew left and right as she and Matrix became heavily engaged in battle. The gangsters (or whatever they were) began to thin out, but the commotion had gotten the attention of several guards. A bell began to ring and it summoned the attention of even more guards.  
  
Blood continued to spurt and fly, limbs and broken bodies were flung about, and more than a few of them were even partially consumed. It was a terrible, grisly scene as game sprites were killed and torn apart, some of them partially eaten until a sword blow or shot arrow distracted one of the creatures and made them forget their meal as they acted in self-defense.  
  
As they acted out of pure instinct, having temporarily lost touch with their sentient consciousness.  
  
Eventually Starwell found herself fleeing in a random direction when there was a break from the battle. She was wounded, although all of the sprites she had consumed were fueling her current format's ability to regenerate quickly.  
  
By the time she leaped over the city wall and bounded off into the forest, she was mostly healed. That meant she picked up speed as she continued to run.  
  
Eventually she began to slow down, and she began to remember herself. She stopped dead in her tracks, a feeling of horror overcoming her. Where am I? What am I doing?  
  
Her ears pressed flat against her skull. Where is Matrix?  
  
Starwell tried to backtrack a bit, but she realized that she was hopelessly lost in the forest. She did have the advantage of heightened smell, however; she could backtrack a bit by following her own scent back in the direction of the city.  
  
After a while though she ended up collapsing due to fatigue. She tried to get up, but in the end she let herself go limp. She figured she might as well just sleep it off and figure out what to do in the morning.  
  
She slept fitfully for some time.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix didn't remember what happened.  
  
He found himself past the city's gates, somewhere in the middle of a grassy field spotted with flowers. He wasn’t quite on the dirt path but somewhere near it.   
  
He was limping in the direction towards... Somewhere... He couldn't feel his right leg, and he had many arrows sticking from him in multiple areas. The forest seemed to be just up ahead; he had already passed a few dozen trees of varying shapes and sizes.  
  
Matrix grunted softly as he began to yank the arrows out, one by one. Thankfully his current form allowed him to regenerate, meaning the injuries would seal themselves up over time. Apparently that was one benefit of the infection, at least…  
  
He blinked. Infection, yes… the infection had overcome him. He tried to remember what happened, gritting his teeth as he yanked the last arrow from his abdomen.. Attacks, arrows, cries and snarls. Then silence. He remembered... He remembered an urgency... He had to find someone. No, he had to find two someone’s...  
  
His eyes widened. The Kid! He didn't remember her in the battle. Did she...  
  
He let out a strangled cry, and bounded off into the woods, despite his leg. The sudden rush of emotion had pushed him on.  
  
Matrix smacked his shoulder into a tree, almost blindly, and hit the ground. He just felt so tired...


	15. Chapter 15

Out in the middle of the forest, Gizmo became more and more agitated as Bob remained offline in the Cave entrance. Gizmo understood that Bob had been through a great ordeal, and it deeply appreciated the fact that he had gone through great pains to find the ingredients for the cure. However, the more time it remained in one place, the more agitated the Keytool became.  
  
Unlike Glitch, it had the tendency to grow bored and restless when it wasn't any closer to reaching its goal, which was to get back to Starwell. It had chosen to behave itself for the moment, which meant no more mischief. It also couldn't go very far on its own, so that meant there was only one thing it could do:  
  
Try and wake up Bob. If it could.  
  
It beeped and whirred. There was no response. It then clicked and whirred at Glitch, asking if it had any ideas to wake him up. Glitch whirled and Bob began to get up. But it wasn't Bob; he was still offline, but his sprite began to move. It ran like Bob, so indistinguishable from the real online article. Glitch set the coordinates back to the old Witch's house as Gizmo beeped its gratitude.  
  
Gizmo was impressed in spite of itself. Apparently Bob and Glitch were truly interconnected, at least when they were touching each other. Gizmo knew that it shared a unique link/bond with Starwell, especially when it was connected to her arm. But... it wasn't sure if it could pull anything off quite like this with her. After all, Starwell had a very complex code structure, unique to any other format or program within any System.  
  
Gizmo already knew that Bob was a program, a being very different from Starwell, and Glitch (although similar in some ways to Gizmo) was a different form of Keytool. It was for this reason that Gizmo had teased Glitch so much earlier; perhaps in a way, Gizmo considered itself superior when comparing itself to Glitch, simply because it had the capability to act on its own within a limited fashion. Not to mention Gizmo could access some things that Glitch didn't seem able to.  
  
However... Gizmo also figured that it wouldn't know the full extent of what Glitch was, what it was capable of, or the full extent of its limitations unless they connected directly.  
  
Gizmo beeped and whirred, asking Glitch a question. It basically asked if, when they got out of the Game, perhaps the two of them could briefly link together and exchange data. It would be fascinating to discover just how alike and different each of them really were.  
  
Glitch gave no reply. Either it wasn’t interested or it was more focused on the task at hand. Then again, Glitch wasn’t exactly the chatty type, a fact which got on Gizmo’s nerves.  
  
When Bob finally came to, he wasn't quite sure how he had ended up in front of the Witch's cottage, nor how he had gotten a bottle of something in his hands. He grunted softly as he sat up on the wooden porch, rubbing the back of his head warily. He felt adequately rested, but still somewhat tired and definitely sore all over.  
  
He took a moment to make sure both of the Keytools were still present. Gizmo was still on his right arm and seemed delighted that he had awakened. Good, it hadn’t wandered off.  
  
"Glitch,” he said, “Scanner." Glitch responded immediately, and he used it to scan the contents of the bottle.  
  
The potion... Oh Thank the User! It was the werewolf cure! Bob smiled, he could cure Starwell and Matrix.  
  
If he could find them. That realization caused his face to fall somewhat. It was a big world out there and both of them might be too far away to scan for at this point. There was no telling what they had done after the Infection had taken hold of them.  
  
Still, he had to try. He picked himself up, brushed off his pants, then began another long hike through the forest.  
  
His feet were already sore.  
  
“Wait a moment, young traveler.”  
  
Bob was surprised to find himself being addressed by the Witch. He turned to find that she had stepped out of the cottage, toward him. The tattered ends of her robe flowed around her legs like gentle wisps as she moved.  
  
“What is it?” Bob asked warily, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. It seemed that the Game sprite only wanted to talk, but in scenarios like this you could never be too careful.  
  
“You have the cure,” the Witch told him. “However, it is fair to warn you that it will do you no good.”  
  
Bob’s eyes widened and then narrowed into slits. “What do you mean by that?” he demanded, furrowing his brow.  
  
“Simply that the cure will only work if you defeat the Spirit of the Beast,” the Witch replied, her voice becoming ever shriller. She interlocked her bony fingers together, a gesture that made her appear all the more like a walking corpse.  
  
“The Spirit of the Beast?” Bob blinked. “But I just killed the Beast,” he said quickly, eyeing the bottle in his hand.  
  
“That you have, young traveler. But unless the vengeful Spirit is vanquished, the curse will never truly end.”  
  
Bob sighed. Of course nothing could be that easy. “Okay… thanks,” he finally said. “Is there anything else I should know?”  
  
“Look out behind you!” The Witch vanished back into her hut.  
  
Bob stared after her a moment, confused. Then a snapping of twigs behind him made him turn.  
  
He let out a startled yell as a giant black bear bounded toward him. He began to run.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell awoke some time later to the sound of chirping birds. Her eyelids flickered open, and she realized that she could see daylight. She groaned as she pushed herself off the ground. She felt so sore and so stiff. And no wonder; she had been sleeping on a rocky stretch of ground with grass and roots sticking up out of it.   
  
"Ow," she complained, rubbing her head. It was then that she realized something. She was back to normal. Human (or, well, regular sprite) again. Her skin still had an eerie glow right around her arm, indicating that the infection had not gone away. But she was back to normal.  
  
And once again in her underwear. She was in the middle of the woods... in her underwear.  
  
This fact made itself more profound when she got up and moved around; the ground bit into her feet, especially when she stepped on rocks, roots, or certain kinds of plants.  
  
"I am definitely not Jane of the Jungle," she grumbled to herself, moving at a very slow and careful pace as not to hurt her tender tootsies. "I bet that girl has callus’s on her feet."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix woke from a fitful sleep. He found himself in the middle of the woods, and it was obviously daytime. For a moment, he didn't understand why...   
  
Oh.  
  
He remembered last night. Flashes of attacking guards and villagers, and sometimes just raw emotion. Then that was when it hit him. Starwell was gone. He looked around. There was no one around. He got up, and cringed for a moment. His leg hurt.  
  
He also had no armor or weapons, but… there were extras. His nails were longer, sharper and a darker green. There was more hair on his arms and legs than usual. A facial examination with his hand showed that his normally light stubble/goatee was a bit thicker and more shaggy, his ears were slightly pointed. After effects, and they would be a dead giveaway to anyone who knew the coding, on some level.  
  
He took to a random direction, and hoped that he found Starwell or Bob somewhere.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell had to stop after a little while. She just couldn't really get around anymore, not like this. Her feet were starting to hurt too much and she began to feel more and more self-conscious and useless the further she went.  
  
I feel like some kind of forest barbarian or something, walking around in my underwear like this, she thought with a frown. Yet even a barbarian would have had tougher feet than she did. Or something on her feet.  
  
She ended up continuing a little further. She didn't want to simply plunk herself down in the middle of the ground; she wanted to be somewhere more open.  
  
She smiled with relief as she walked into a forest clearing. It was an absolutely beautiful sight, complete with grass and flowers, and the sun beaming down on it. A stream flowed through the center of it, having a shimmering, glass-like appearance underneath the sunlight.  
  
"At least it's a beautiful morning," she mused positively as she stepped closer to the stream. She sat down on a mossy rock beside it and dangled her feet into the cool water. It felt good. She smiled in delight.  
  
Her smile faded after a moment, however. She felt something moving near her feet. She glanced down, and she spotted what appeared to be a snake wrapping itself around her ankles. A very big snake. She swiped at it, hoping to get it off of her feet, but it moved too quickly. It wrapped around her like a rapid-moving rope, securing her legs together and pinning her arms against her sides.   
  
"HELP!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, attempting to struggle out of its grasp. It only hissed and tightened its grip. She rolled onto the ground; it was getting harder to breathe as the snake tightened around her. It gradually got even tighter, threatening to crush her...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix heard a yell.  
  
Starwell!  
  
He ran to the source of the yell. The forest became a blur. Then he found a dis-colorization among the grass in middle of a clearing.  
  
A large snake. It was long and thick, and in its folds was a very familiar young sprite.  
  
Matrix cursed. He grabbed the Snake. It hissed at him, and he snarled at it. He allowed his new sharp nails to sink into its scales. The snake opened its mouth, revealing fangs. Its still free head struck out, but it missed Matrix's head.  
  
Matrix reacted by biting the back of the serpent's neck. He drew his jaw tighter, until the snake went limp.  
  
Starwell gasped as the snake's body went limp and its coils loosened, allowing her to breathe again. She continued to gasp and pant as her breath returned to her, the virtual air filling her sprite-lungs. She lay completely still on the ground, pressing her hand against her chest (only to touch the leathery skin of the dead snake) as she tried to regain her composure. For a nano there she had been convinced that she was a goner.  
  
Ironically, she knew, if she had still been a werewolf when that happened... she could have ripped the snake to shreds. Possibly eaten it. Ew. She shuddered inwardly at the thought and made a face.  
  
Matrix blinked, and spat the snake out. Tasting raw flesh was no longer desirable outside of his werewolf form. He helped get the snake body off of Starwell. "You okay, kid?"  
  
"Yeah," she breathed. "Fine. Just fine." Actually she felt like she wanted to be sick. At least, Hannah felt that way. The sprite-side of her told her to shut up and grow a spine. She had just spent the night as a werewolf, and she had been doing pretty well at surviving and maintaining her sanity up until this point.  
  
Yeah, but that's just because you have Matrix to watch your back, and Bob before that, she told herself.  
  
Bob. Where was Bob? For that matter, where was Gizmo? For some strange reason, part of her felt… somewhat incomplete without the Keytool.  
  
"Hey, thanks," she said with gratitude, focusing her attention back on Matrix. "I'm really glad you're here." She let herself go limp against the ground for a moment, staring up at the clear sky. The sun was shining directly into her eyes. She held up a hand to block the bright light from her vision.   
  
"Yeah..." Matrix sighed, and sat down next to her. He wiped his mouth, reminiscent of the snake that had been in his mouth and found that his teeth were fang-like. He rolled his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose. He was relieved that he had found Starwell. Unlike himself, the effects of her Lycanthropy were small, aside from the glowing skin.  
  
He waited a few more moments, giving both of them a chance to regain their composure. Finally, he said, "We can't stay here. Come on, we've gotta keep moving."  
  
Starwell closed her eyes momentarily. "Yeah. Okay," she nodded. She then stood and he rose, and she began to follow him as he proceeded through the forest. Since he was bigger and thus had longer legs, he could automatically move faster than her.  
  
However, her progress was severely slowed by the fact that her tender feet just couldn't handle it. Apparently Matrix could handle walking barefoot without a problem, but she couldn't. Whether it was because she had been human before this, or if it was just due to him being a sprite (or maybe his werewolf infection had toughened him up a bit) she couldn't be certain.  
  
She fell more and more behind as her walk became slower and slower, her footing more tentative than ever. Especially since she was keeping an eye out for more snakes. Her near-nakedness made her feel more self-conscious than ever now. "Sorry," she commented when he looked at her at one point. "I just can't go very fast like this."  
  
Matrix sighed. He bent down, showing his back and his intent. "Get on."  
  
She blinked. "You're offering me a piggy-back ride?" she asked, feeling a little unsure about this. It seemed silly, like something a six-year-old would be offered.  
  
"Yes." Matrix may have slept but he felt mentally exhausted. He wasn't impatient, as his usually strong front was currently extinguished from the night's events. At the moment, he just wanted to keep moving.  
  
"Uh.... okay then." She tentatively stepped forward and climbed onto his back, putting her arms around his big shoulders and neck, putting her legs around his waist for support and balance. In a way this felt awkward and uncomfortable, especially since... they were both in their underwear. But still... she trusted him, and she knew he wouldn't do anything to her. He was just trying to be practical at the moment.  
  
Just as he rose and began to continue through their trek through the forest, the System Voice spoke up with an announcement.  
  
"Player 1 has been eliminated," it's mechanical, feminine voice droned. "Player 2 remains." Hannah blinked as the spoken message repeated itself once, and then fell silent. It took a moment to register the implication.  
  
Then she got a sick feeling in her stomach. "Uh oh." She pressed her lips together in a thin line.  
  
For a moment, Matrix stopped. He felt Starwell’s arms tighten around him nervously. His Guardian Code was acting, and he wanted (and could) end the game right here and now. He closed his eyes, let out a breath, and continued on. He wasn't about to kill a new friend over a game.  
  
But the game had other desires.  
  
An arrow shot past Matrix, and hit a tree beside him. He turned his head, and found that bandits had spotted them.  
  
Starwell let out a scream. She practically jumped off of Matrix's back and rolled along the ground for a moment, head over heels. "Ugh, I am so tired of this!" she yelled, as more arrows sang past her. She crawled underneath a nearby clump of bushes. "I want this stupid game to END already!"  
  
She scraped her body against the ground, looking around for something to use as a weapon. Yeah, right, she thought. She had no armor, not even any clothing at the moment. If she got shot now, she was going to be creamed.  
  
She did grab at a nearby rock, though. She then peered out of the bushes just enough to throw it at a nearby bandit; it bounced off of his head. He whirled around, and then aimed an arrow at her.  
  
She didn't duck quickly enough; she cried out as it sank into her shoulder. She got down beneath the bushes, grimacing as she clutched at her shoulder.  
  
Matrix did the first thing that came to him. Even with no armor or weapon: use brute force. He rushed forward, ignored the arrows that flew past him. He tackled the first bandit that came to him, and began to beat him mercilessly. Once he was sure that he had killed him, he took the game-sprite's short sword. Matrix killed one of the bowman, before an arrow sunk into his leg. He let out an aggravated growl, and whipped around to find another target.  
  
With his implanted eye, he targeted the bowman. He drew back, and threw the short sword. It impaled itself into a tree, with the bandit along with it.  
  
Underneath the bushes, Starwell grunted as she gripped the arrow in her hand. She steeled herself, then she yelped softly as she yanked it back out.  
  
She then heard footfalls approaching. She could see a bandit, possibly the one that shot her, standing near the bush. Perhaps he was wondering where she was.  
  
She took a deep breath, then gritted her teeth as she made a bold move. She reached out and grabbed his ankles, hugging her arms around them. He let out a sound of surprise and she managed to get him off-balance just enough to make him stagger.  
  
She then jumped up out of the bushes and, gripping the arrow she had pulled from her shoulder, she summoned all the strength she could muster and she rammed it into his skull, right between his eyes.  
  
He cried out, and then he fell.  
  
Starwell then dropped down near the ground again, her Survival Instinct warning her to keep down. She didn't want to make herself a target. She then looted the fresh bandit corpse and donned some clothes and armor, then took his bow and arrow.  
  
She even found a health potion in his inventory that mostly healed her arrow wound and increased her energy a little. She took a deep breath, feeling a little better.  
  
Matrix donned bandit armor, at least the most undamaged he could have found. He had gathered another short sword, another bow and arrows. His lips thinned into a contented smile; he had never felt more comfortable.  
  
There was a rustling in the nearby bushes. Matrix already had drawn his sword and made his way to the bush. He was about to strike, and then he found that it was Starwell.  
  
He relaxed, but remained guarded, "We shouldn't stay here. Lets get back to moving on. I want to be out of here before nightfall."  
  
She got to her feet, feeling a bit more confident and less self-conscious now that she had clothing and armor on. Not to mention a bow and arrow at her disposal. Plus her feet were now covered. Thank God.  
  
"Yeah, nightfall," she commented unhappily. "When we're gonna turn into werewolves again." She sighed, upset. But that wasn't the only thing that was bothering her. The User outside of Mainframe had apparently met his or her demise. And now the game was going to keep going until...  
  
Until what? She met her demise? Unless she could get Gizmo back and access the Main Menu function... then she could try quitting the game. But of course... she didn't know where Gizmo was. The Keytool had disappeared when she and Matrix were transferred to that jail cell. And it would take forever to try and find it in this massive world.  
  
She took a dagger she had looted into her hand, actually contemplating an idea for a moment. What would it take, to end the game the easy way? Hannah screamed fearfully against the idea and Starwell's self-preservation protocols stayed her hand. But still...  
  
She closed her eyes, gripping the dagger thoughtfully in front of her. Would it be possible to wound herself just enough to get the game to think she was dead, to make it end? Or would she have to die completely for it to work? She didn't like the idea either way... even if it would be the easiest, quickest thing to try.


	16. Chapter 16

Matrix realized what Starwell was thinking, just by the position of the dagger and the arm. He grasped it and, in a strong grip, he pulled her close until they were face to face.  
  
"Don't do it. Don't even think about doing it." Matrix was stern, "You listen here. We'll find a cure, and find a way to beat the game that doesn't require your deletion. And if you end the game now, what else do you think will happen? You don't just get recompiled and come out okay."  
  
Starwell stared into his eyes, pressing her lips together in a thin line. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her dagger and that arm trembled slightly in his firm grasp. "What happens if I don't do it?" she whispered. "I don't know if I can take another night of being a werewolf, and I don't even know if I can take another moment of this stupid game."  
  
Hannah was crumbling within her, yet part of her did want to be talked out of the solution of self-inflicted harm. Starwell wanted to be encouraged. Starwell wanted--no, needed him to insist that everything was going to be okay, that she was wrong. That she didn't need to harm herself to get out of this.  
  
Yet the negative part of her persisted. "I may never get home anyway at this rate," she mumbled. She pulled on her arm, trying to pull it out of his grasp, but his grip remained firm. "At least I can let you and Bob go home." Her voice trembled.   
  
Throughout his lifetime, Matrix had done many bullheaded things. He has rushed into situations where his quick reactions and deadly precision got him into more trouble or just sticky situations. Then there were times where he didn't react, and those times were rare. This was not one of those times, and to keep with his reaction rate, he did the first thing that came to mind.  
  
Matrix hugged Starwell.  
  
"There's no such thing as an easy game-difficulty," he said. It was something that Bob had said one of the first times Matrix had entered games. While it had been a sarcastic remark about the User at the time, it was something that could be taken to heart. "Sometimes, you just got keep moving forward. No regrets."  
  
Starwell was surprised when he hugged her. It was a little awkward while they were wearing armor, but that didn't make the gesture any less heart-felt. She dropped her dagger and returned the hug, resting her head against his chest.  
  
She sighed loudly. "You said," she whispered, "that you and AndrAIa spent so long in the games, some of them worse than this. How in the world did you manage to keep going?"  
  
The fact that he could have kept going for such a long time, even through situations worse than this (including that terrible horror-survival game he'd mentioned yesterday) was way beyond her comprehension. Though perhaps that was because she was not a... natural sprite.  
  
No matter how much Alpha Starwell learned or took a fore-front because the program side of her needed to take the driver's seat for her own sanity and survival, Hannah was still human. Hannah longed to go home or, if that proved to be difficult or impossible, find some other way to escape from this insane, unbearable reality.  
  
Starwell could adapt and handle things. Hannah wasn't so sure, and she rebelled against the idea. The two sides of her, which had been somewhat integrated and had flowed well together, began to conflict against each other now. The sprite side of her and the Human side of her were no longer at peace within her.  
  
"The hope of getting home," said Matrix, "But, I doubt I would have continued on if it weren't for AndrAIa."  
  
If anything that thought just depressed Hannah further. She had nothing in here, really, except for a distant hope that maybe she would get back to her Uncle's system, and that maybe she could get out of there and become human again.  
  
She had no friends or family in here. Yes there were Bob and Matrix, and even Gizmo. Gizmo was probably the closest thing she had a loyal companion, wherever it was right now, and it had been created for her sprite-form apparently. And she had obviously befriended Matrix in the jail cell. He was starting to seem like a big brother in some ways now.  
  
But still, what did it matter? She had nothing. None of her friends from back home were with her now, none of her family. Even if her Uncle came into his system and tried to look for her, (if he even realized what happened to her) would he ever be able to find her? Would he even go so far as to come to Mainframe, if he could somehow figure out she was there? She might be stuck trying to make a life for herself in this weird new reality. Perhaps Starwell could handle that, since she had the correct programming parameters and adaptability. But Hannah's adventurous spirit was nearly spent, and she was unsure if she could, or even wanted, to adapt to this new reality.  
  
It was too alien. It was too dangerous. It was too... unfamiliar.  
  
She pulled herself away from Matrix, looking away from him as tears began to sting her eyes. Starwell hardened herself, getting ready to press on through the forest, for now at least. But Hannah steeled herself, forming an emotional barrier to mentally separate herself from any kind of friendship or kinship she felt toward Matrix... or Bob. If she had to do something drastic, if she decided she couldn't take this anymore, she wanted no regrets. No hesitation.  
  
Matrix looked at her for a long while. "What do you plan to do?" he eventually asked.  
  
She glanced at him, but she didn't meet his gaze. "Let's just keep going," she said flatly. She then picked a random direction and began to move, walking as quickly as she could through the forest.  
  
Matrix knew the emotional distance, he could recognize it in anything. He had gone through it when he was so far distant from family and home and almost everything familiar. He knew that he needed to be with Starwell. She's was going down a path not so unwalked.  
  
He followed behind, cautious of their surroundings.  
  
They continued walking through the forest for some time. Starwell stopped keeping track of time; it no longer seemed to matter. For the most part they did not run into any trouble, mostly just a pack of wolves or a bear here or there that either needed to be deterred, avoided, or killed in self-defense.  
  
They remained mostly silent as they went, barely speaking unless they needed to speak. If anything, Starwell became more and more withdrawn as they continued.  
  
Eventually Starwell stopped, having spotted something in the distance. It looked like the walls to a city were just ahead. She tilted her head to one side, analyzing it. Was it the same city they had been in before, where she and Matrix had gotten arrested? Or was it a different one?  
  
She didn't care either way. She had no inclination to keep going, not for the moment at least. She sighed and plunked herself down on a large rock in the nearby shade, leaning against a large tree. She simply closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, ignoring Matrix and everything around her as she rested for a long moment.  
  
Matrix realized that this forest was huge. And then he realized that if the forest was big, that meant that something bigger than what they were finding was inside. He refused to sleep when Starwell began to. Something nagged at him, and it was coming from the woods themselves.  
  
Game-Hours began to pass quickly, and it was by sunset that Matrix decided to wake Starwell. They shouldn't be in the woods at night, he had decided, they needed to find somewhere away from the city some ways away but it wasn't here.  
  
"Hey Kid, you need to--" He never finished the sentence. He dropped his Bow and arrow. Something had wrapped around his stomach, and then pulled him away. He didn't even have time to call out.

Starwell's eyelids flickered open. It took her a moment to get the fuzz out of her brain and to realize that she had been sleeping. She'd only intended to rest her eyes for a few nanos, but apparently she had been more tired than she thought.  
  
Her first thought after being awakened was to tell Matrix to get away from her and leave her alone. Despite being fairly well rested, her mood and attitude had not improved much.  
  
However, Matrix was apparently not where he'd been a moment ago. She blinked, looking around in puzzlement.   
  
Then she spotted something nearby. And then she looked straight up. Her eyes widened, and she nearly screamed.  
  
There was a large plant-like creature nearby that had Matrix wrapped up in its tentacles. Whether it was able to move around or if it simply spawned close to the nighttime, she had no way of knowing. But she could see it clearly now; it was like an enormous Venus Fly-Trap plant, with a gaping maw and long, snake-like tentacles that could ensnare living prey and bring anything it caught to its mouth.  
  
It's mouth opened wide, getting ready to deposit Matrix into it.  
  
Starwell screamed, a sound of fury as much as it was fear. She rushed forward, snatching up Matrix's fallen sword. In a quick motion she sliced off the tentacle that had wrapped itself around him, causing him to fall to the ground.   
  
The plant-creature screamed in agony.  
  
Starwell let out a grunt of effort as she dodged the plant's attempt to grab her. She side-stepped a tentacle and then sliced into another one that tried to ensnare her. She then moved downward, slicing through two more tentacles, and then she thrust the sword into the middle of the plant's base. It cried out in agony as it was sliced open, and then its remaining tentacles went limp.  
  
Starwell blinked several times when she realized it was all over. That was the first battle she had won completely on her own.  
  
Matrix hit the ground, dazed. He squirmed though the plant like tentacle, and took his breath. His first thought, there were going to be more of those things in the forest come night fall. His second thought, the sunlight had disappeared. Already, he felt the throbbing. It was faster this time.  
  
"Better get ready, kid!" He had time to yell, as he jerked in pain and felt the change take him.  
  
Starwell blinked. She then realized exactly what he meant when she felt a familiar throbbing, as if every nerve in her body had been set on fire. She groaned out loud, trying to fight it as she felt the familiar headache and gut-wrenching pain threaten to overwhelm her. "NO," she cried out, shrinking backward as if she could get away from it that way. "Not again! I can't do this again!"  
  
Matrix would have said something to her, anything, but his mind was swept away. The armor and weapons disappeared from his Bitmap, and the reappearance of green shine black fur came.  
  
While he didn't fight it, he was determined to stay focused. He was back in the slur of consciousness, and the hunger was there again. The first things on his mind were to stay with Starwell and to find Bob. No matter the cost.  
  
Starwell saw him change first. She gripped her head between her hands, squeezing her temples. She was determined to fight it for as long as possible. "No," she whispered. "I don't want to go through this again!" The more she fought it, the more painful it got. It became so intense that she screamed, high-pitched and blood-curdling, a sound that echoed through the forest.  
  
Then it engulfed her, and she was unable to fight it anymore. She morphed into a werewolf, and then she collapsed on the ground, drained from her efforts to fight it.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It had taken Bob some time to lose the bear, though thankfully it could be done without harming it. The Guardian had no desire to battle or take the life of another creature so soon after the battle with the Beast of the Legends.  
  
Besides, it didn’t take much to lose the bear; it only involved jumping into a muddy creek and breathing through a hollow reed while he hid underwater. It was the oldest trick in the ReadMe file when trying to escape notice from pursuing game sprites in the woods.  
  
Glitch informed Bob when it was safe to get out of the water. He breathed a sigh of relief as he emerged, hauling himself up onto the shore. He was covered in mud and algae.  
  
Bob spit a bit of muck out of his mouth. “Once all of this is over,” he remarked to no one in particular, “I’m going to take a nice long, hot energy shower.” He glanced down at his dirty armor, crusted with dried blood, bits of dirt and now traces of rank-smelling muck from the creek. He inhaled deeply and pressed onward.  
  
Gizmo had nothing else better to do, so it had been monitoring pretty much every single sound and scrap of movement it could detected within its scanning radius for some time. For the most part, Bob had not run into much trouble except for some bandits which he'd stealthily avoided, and a bear that he'd been forced to put down.  
  
Now it was nightfall yet again, and Gizmo was getting discouraged. How in the world were they going to find Starwell in all of this forest? If only there was some way to scan for her, or detect her...  
  
Then it heard a faint sound in the distance. It was so distant and so hard to hear that no normal sprite could have heard it, it was so far away. Yet Gizmo zoomed right in on it and it immediately recognized two things about the sound. It was Starwell's voice, and it was a sound of severe distress.  
  
Gizmo shrieked with excitement and sudden concern, nearly bouncing itself off of Bob's arm. It released a series of beeps and whirs to both him and Glitch, trying to indicate the direction they should go.  
  
"What is it Gizmo?" Bob looked at the strange Keytool. It was pin pointing something. The urgency of it, it was something important.  
  
Bob would trust it, even if it was mischievous. He ran for that direction, by passing trees and bushes. He nearly tripped when he saw the Beasts. Two Werewolves, one was collapsed. The other was on all fours.  
  
Before Matrix could go near Starwell, he smelt the new scent. The code forced instinct, and made his hunger more prominent. He didn't even realize he was drooling. He whipped around to the source of the scent, found it and pounced on it. He was intent on sinking his teeth into the prey's flesh...  
  
It was too late for Bob to hide. The standing one spotted him. For a brief moment, the werewolf reminded him of a bigger, black version of Frisket. His eyes widened. The prey and predator stared at each other for a few long moments. "Matrix?" said Bob.  
  
Starwell grunted as she tried to push herself up, yet she remained on all fours. Apparently her attempts to resist the change had drained some of her energy. She heard a familiar voice. Her head whipped around, and she saw the larger creature staring face to face with...  
  
Bob? Bob was here? Her eyelids flickered several times. She grunted, squeezing her eyes shut as she fought the impulse to sink her teeth into him. The hunger gnawed at her gut. "Bob," she grunted, rubbing her stomach.  
  
Gizmo beeped and whirred. Perhaps it was due to their connection, or maybe it could still detect who she was even despite her format change. Regardless, it pried itself off of Bob's arm and landed on the ground, just in front of her.  
  
Starwell stared down at it for a long moment. It actually took her a nano to remember what it was. "Gizmo," she grunted. Gizmo beeped happily.  
  
Bob stood, after Matrix had sorely gotten off of him. He placed a hand on Matrix's head. Bob was smiling. “I’ve got some good news and bad news for both of you,” he told them. “The good news is… I got the cure.”  
  
Matrix could swear that his tail was wagging.  
  
Starwell's ears perked up straight when she heard the word "cure". Gizmo beeped a couple of times, seeming to confirm this.   
  
She inched slowly toward Bob, eyeing the bottle he held in his hand. "Cure?" she questioned in a single, barking sentence. Her eyes stared at him, hard, as if wanting to make sure she wasn't getting her hopes up for nothing.  
  
Bob almost chuckled, but remembered the situation, "Yes. A cure. Hope you guys like it, I went through the Recycling Bin and back to get this!" Then he quickly sobered. “But then there’s the bad news…”  
  
He would have continued. If something had wrapped around his leg and dragged him off before he could react.  
  
Matrix bounded to follow, when a different something, or rather multiple different something’s, grabbed hold of him and pulled him in a different direction.

Starwell’s mouth dropped open when she realized what was happening. Apparently more of the Venus fly-trap things had sprung up, becoming more plentiful now that it was fully night-time. Only these were even bigger, and tougher.  
  
Apparently the one that she had killed a short time ago had been a little one, at least compared to these others... and it had come out prematurely.  
  
She snatched Gizmo up off the ground, slapping it onto her wrist just as a tentacle sprang out and wrapped itself around her legs, causing her to fall flat on her face. She was too stunned to do anything for a moment, giving it a chance to lift her high off the ground.  
  
Gizmo shrieked on her arm, trying to get her attention. She blinked several times and shook her head to clear it, then realized that she was hovering directly over a large, gaping mouth.  
  
Starwell grunted, then she swung her forepaws to slice through the tentacle that held her. However, that turned out to be a stupid mistake; it simply caused her to fall directly toward the creature's mouth, which awaited her like a hungry, inviting pit beneath her.  
  
"Gizmo!" she barked as she fell. "Do something!" she snapped as she fell into the mouth, and it began to close around her.  
  
Gizmo responded to the command and sprang into action. It changed into a steel rod that positioned itself inside the mouth, pressing into each side of the gaping maw, preventing it from closing further. The plant-like creature shrieked in discomfort and agitation when it realized its predicament.  
  
The creature raised its tentacles and reached inside its mouth with one of them; it wrapped the end of one tentacle around the rod, attempting to pry it loose.  
  
Starwell remained exactly where she was for a long moment. Then she sneered impishly. She studied her long claws contemplatively for a moment, then she raised them and began to tear up the inside of the mouth and rip into the opening of the throat below. It turned out that the inside was much softer and more sensitive than the outside. The creature began to shriek and wail pitifully as she began to tear it apart from the inside out.  
  
Matrix struggled. His ability to reason was lost, only the animal remained as he tried to tear away from the tentacles. He bit and clawed everything for the purposes of either getting away or killing whatever had him. He managed to rip a particular tentacle, and his movement wasn't so restricted anymore. He tore away the rest of them, and ran off. He couldn't remember what he was supposed to be doing. He was supposed to find something...  
  
Bob had sliced through the large carnivorous plant. He already felt partially digested, considering he had to go through its mouth.  
  
Apparently Starwell's animal side had taken over, because she wasn't thoroughly satisfied until she had ripped the inside of the plant apart. She only stopped when her claws finally tore through the exterior skin from the inside. Then she leaped out of the shredded, mangled mess that had been a plant-creature. She blinked somewhat when she realized just how far, even overboard she had gone in her clawing frenzy.  
  
Part of her realized that in a way... maybe she needed that. It had allowed her to get some pent-up emotion out of her system, the feelings of anger and helplessness at this entire situation.   
  
Gizmo squawked, getting her attention again. She grunted in its general direction and it took that as an instruction; it changed back to its Key Tool shape and then took its place back on her arm. Her large, muscular, furry arm that was barely recognizable. Yet it didn't seem to mind being there in the slightest. In fact, it seemed very happy about it.  
  
Starwell glanced around. She caught a flash of movement within one of the giant plant-creatures, and she moved forward to investigate. It was crying out in pain as if...  
  
...As if something inside was slicing it to pieces.  
  
She stamped forward, avoiding a couple of tentacles that were flailing about wildly and blindly. She then grabbed the edge of the mouth and looked inside; Bob was trying to avoid being swallowed with Glitch's help.  
  
Starwell grunted. "Gizmo," she said in her gruff, barking accent that she was starting to loath, "Help him." Gizmo responded by changing shape and turning into a steel rod again, holding the giant mouth open.  
  
Starwell then pulled herself up to stand carefully on the edge of the mouth, then she reached down and grabbed Bob by the ankles. With a grunt she pulled him out, and Glitch as well since he still gripped the Glitch-sword's hilt securely.  
  
Then, since her current form was large and strong enough, she matter-of-factly put Bob over her shoulder like an overgrown child and hopped down off of the wounded plant. "Gizmo!" she barked, ordering the Keytool back to her.  
  
With absolutely no hesitation, it returned to its default shape and snapped itself back onto her arm.   
  
Then Starwell picked a random direction and began to run. Bob jarred a bit on her shoulder as she ran across the uneven ground but that couldn't be helped; she was getting them both out of there. She ran a fair distance until she was satisfied that they had left the planet-creatures well behind them.   
  
Even then she still wasn't entirely satisfied. Apparently this Game had many dangers, ones that could sneak up on you at a moment's notice. She plunked herself down on a fallen tree, setting Bob down beside her. She briefly glanced him over; he seemed shaken, but no worse for the wear.  
  
"You... okay?" Starwell asked him with a cough. Speaking was still difficult. "Still got... cure?" If it turned out he had dropped it or lost it inside the plant-creature or something, she swore she was going to jump off of this tree and go kill something.

…She hoped that that thought was just the animal instinct talking.

"Yeah, I still have it." Bob showed Starwell the bottle. The lid was missing and the contents were half empty. "This is bad, this is very bad." There was the old Read-Me that said at the worst thing will happen at the worst possible moment at the worst possible time.  
  
There was a growling behind Bob. And when he turned, Matrix was there. The Beast was growling, saliva ran from his lips, and he was ready for the pounce.


	17. Chapter 17

Starwell sighed heavily. "Matrix," she snapped, "cut it--" Her voice faltered, then she growled. She made a throat-clearing noise (which sounded more like hacking) and then she finished her sentence. "Cut it out, it's us!"  
  
She then managed a frown in her wolf-form, but her vocal processor wouldn't cooperate any further. She gestured toward Matrix. "Cure," she managed to spat, "Give... him!" She wanted to be cured of the infection (or curse, as it had become) more than anything. But Matrix deserved to have his life back. She wasn't even sure yet if she would have a life to go back to at this rate.  
  
"Matrix," Bob said cautiously, "Matrix calm down. Its me, Its Bob. Remember?"  
  
Matrix pounced. Bob dodged. Matrix smacked his head against the nearby tree trunk, and slumped.  
  
"Hmmpmmp! Ah!" Bob spat dirt, "You just can't talk with that!" He got up, and looked at Matrix's offline form. "I want to give you guys the cure, but you can't take it in this form.”  
  
Starwell's face fell. Why couldn't anything be simple? There were a lot of things that could happen during the night. Matrix could run off again in this state or more dangers could show up out of nowhere.  
  
“There’s something else I need to tell you,” Bob coughed. “I mentioned before that I had good news and bad news.”  
  
Starwell’s wolf face shifted into an expression of dread, but she stared at her intently.  
  
“The cure won’t work until we kill the Spirit behind the curse,” Bob sighed.  
  
Aggravation overcame Starwell to the point where she snarled, turned away from both of them, and stamped her front left paw so hard on the ground it ached. This also gave Gizmo a severe jolt, causing it to protest its discomfort.  
  
Starwell sighed heavily and slumped on the ground, then remained there, staring off at nothing.  
  
"Hey there." Bob walked towards her, but he wasn't sure if it would be a good idea for any physical contact. He could tell that she felt bad and he wanted to help cheer her up. "Things will turn out. Here, let me think, Ah ha! I'm not sure if you've heard of her yet, but there's a friend of mine. Her name's Dot, she the older sister of Matrix. She's the Command.Com for Mainframe.”  
  
Her ears flattened against her skull, but her eyes did flick in Bob’s direction. At least he had her attention.  
  
"One time,” Bob continued, “me and her had to register PIDs in Ghetty Prime. But that was where Megabyte, one of Mainframe's former Viruses, used as his territory. We ended up accidentally trusting one of his spies, a binome named Cyrus. Right when we were leaving Ghetty Prime with the Register PIDs, we found that Dot's folder for them had been downloaded elsewhere!  
  
"Let me tell you, it was one of the hardest things Dot had ever gone through.  
  
"It made it even worse when Dot and I got caught up in a Game Cube, the User playing the infamous Funhouse. This game looks like it came out of a normal Circus game. But everything is trapped. I ended up getting stuck in the room of Mirrors.”   
  
He paused, shaking his head slightly. “I'll admit, I was worried. With Dot feeling so down, the User could have gotten an edge. But the User didn't. Dot beat the Game. We were even able to get the PIDs back and trick Megabyte and Cyrus.” He smiled. “Talk about happy ends."  
  
Starwell half-listened to what he was saying. Her eyes flicked once or twice in his direction as he told his tale, but when he finished she simply rested her chin on her paws and stared off into space.  
  
Just sleep, she told herself. You can't talk very well in this condition anyway. Bob'll probably wake you up if anything happens. She allowed her eyes to shut, and she grimaced briefly. Please, she prayed to anyone who might be listening. Let everything go smoothly, just once. Let me wake up in the morning and find Matrix and Bob still here, and find that nothing happened during our sleep.  
  
Bob watched her curl up. Well, he was on guard duty. He was okay with that.  
  
A little later, and he had moved Matrix closer and into a more comfortable position. Overall the two werewolves seemed to be at peace in their slumber, even if Starwell was rigid in her slumber. Hopefully she would feel better once she was cured…  
  
Bob frowned at the half-empty bottle as he picked it up and examined its contents. How was he going to break the news to them in the morning? He sighed softly; he would simply have to deal with it in the morning.  
  
The Guardian sat down on the grass near his friends, keeping a general eye and ear out on the forest as the altered sprites slept. Everything seemed to be quiet for the most part.  
  
At least it was, until…  
  
"They truly are adorable when they sleep, aren't they Bob?"  
  
The masculine, deep and smooth voice made Bob jerk. His eyes were wide, and he spun. He didn't see anyone, but then someone tapped his shoulder.  
  
He turned.  
  
There stood a persona straight from his nightmares. Blue bodied, with a structure akin to a stretched, muscular and viral sprite.  
  
"Megabyte..."  
  
"Ah, I see you remember me after so long." The virus stood were Matrix had been lying.  
  
"You were disguised as Matrix? Where is he?"  
  
"Disguised? Whatever do you mean Bob? I am not disguised as anyone. I am simply taking control and talking through him."  
  
"How?" Bob demanded. This didn't make sense.  
  
"If I wanted to tell you, I would have. But I want this to be... as you would say, a surprise. I told you it would be a hunt, but it would not be a hunt like in games like this..." Megabyte gestured to the environment with a claw, "I want it to be on a home turf, and I know what to use and how to use it."  
  
"Whatever you're planning, you won't get away with this!" It was the first time in the game that Bob had gotten truly angry.  
  
"I'm afraid..." Megabyte leaned in close, "I already have."  
  
The visage of Megabyte disappeared, and left the unconscious werewolf form of Matrix.  
  
Bob stood, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He was not sure whether to be angry or worried or horrified.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell somehow managed to sleep soundly through the night, barely stirring at all. She almost regained full consciousness at one point when she thought she heard talking, but by the time she had awakened to alertness the voices had stopped. She therefore dismissed it as a dream.  
  
She then returned to full sleep mode, sleeping fitfully for the rest of the night. Eventually she awoke when Gizmo began to squawk on her arm, insisting she get up. That and the sun was shining down in her face, searing through her eyelids. She groaned softly, realizing that somehow she was lying flat on her back. She rolled over and pushed herself into a sitting position. "Ugh," she grunted, rubbing her sore back.  
  
And then she realized that she was wearing nothing but her underwear. Again. "Ugh.... not again!" She complained.  
  
"Nice to see you up." Bob smiled, he held out his hand to her, "Matrix is still out of it."  
  
The female sprite looked up at him for a moment. She then grasped his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "Good morning," she said. It sounded more like a complaint than a greeting. She was somewhat amazed at herself for being able to sleep through the night without feeding on something. Then again, perhaps that simply meant she had mastered her hunger. Or she had been too distraught to care.  
  
She stretched, grunting as she tried to ease her stiff muscles. Whatever happened to her next, she simply hoped they had some nice, soft beds in Mainframe... assuming they got out of this mess.  
  
"Hey," she said quietly, not quite looking at Bob, "um... I'm assuming you heard that announcement the System Voice gave? About the other User being gone?" She frowned. "You know that I'm the only reason this game is still going, apparently."  
  
"Yes. I know." Bob slumped, just a little, "I'm still trying to think how to work around that."  
  
"You're actually planning..." said a tired voice. Matrix slowly got up from his position. He looked horrible, "Now I know things are desperate."  
  
"Good morning, Matrix," Starwell greeted in a low voice.  
  
On Starwell’s arm, Gizmo made a noise that sounded almost like a grumble. "Oh shut up," she told the Keytool grumpily. "Matrix is okay. He's been helping me out a lot, and he saved my life."  
  
Gizmo seemed to do the Keytool equivalent of a double-take upon hearing this news. "Yeah," Starwell said, moving carefully to sit down on a nearby rock. "He's alright."  
  
She grimaced slightly. Hadn't she told herself that she wasn't going to care about these people anymore, in case she had to do something drastic? Apparently once she started caring, she couldn't stop.  
  
"Morning,” Matrix grunted as he got up. He moved stiffly, apparently sore from the previous night’s incidents. “Bob, what about this cure of yours?"  
  
"Yeah, I was getting to that." Bob lifted the half empty bottle, "I'm afraid that there's only so much for one."  
  
Starwell sighed. That wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear upon first awakening. "Is there enough to cure both of us, or just one of us?" she asked warily. She desperately hoped she would hear what she wanted, needed to hear.  
  
“Just one." Bob answered sadly. He felt like he just let everyone down.  
  
All conversation ceased as a group of bandits ambushed the trio of sprites.   
  
Starwell screamed as she ran toward a nearby clump of trees for cover; a pair of dagger-wielding bandits pursued her.  
  
An arrow sang past Bob's head, missing it by mere centimeters.  
  
Matrix did the only thing he could do. He tackled the bandit closest, knowing very well the irony of having to do this all over again.  
  
Bob took out his sword, and started to pick off the game-sprites.  
  
Starwell shrieked as one of the bandits aimed for her head. She ducked and rolled head-over-heels as a dagger slammed into the tree bark, exactly where her torso had been a moment before.  
  
"Gizmo, flaming sword!" she yelled, spitting out the first thing she could think of. The Keytool changed shape almost gleefully, and the hilt made its way to her hand.  
  
She yelped as one of the bandits slashed at it; thankfully her armor took the brunt of it. She swung around and slashed at her attacker's legs. The bandit yelped in agony as red marks appeared across his armor, seeping through as blood oozed from the wounds.  
  
Starwell took advantage of his distraction as she plunged her flaming Gizmo-blade into his chest.  
  
Then she was knocked down flat by the second bandit; she went sprawling on the ground, her blade thrown from her grasp.  
  
Matrix took down a couple of bandits before turning his head to the shrieking.  
  
An arrow lodged itself into his ribs, just above his stomach. He collapsed.  
  
"Matrix!!" Bob yelled, as he blocked his own opponents.  
  
"Gizmo---anything!" Starwell yelled.  
  
The flaming sword changed shape into a smaller weapon; a dagger with a very fine edge. It's blade gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight for a moment.  
  
In the very next instant, blood spurted from the bandit's head. No one even saw the dagger thrust itself into his skull at blinding speed. The Game sprite went down, and then the blade dislodged itself from his skull.  
  
The Gizmo-dagger landed on the grass. It seemed to shudder somewhat, as if appalled by the fact that it was covered with blood.  
  
Bob fought with fury. He needed to get to Matrix, above anything else. Something hit a chink in his armor. A stabbing pain from his lower back. He twisted around for the attacker, and was promptly smacked by a shield. He didn't remember hitting the ground.  
  
For a split-second, Starwell could only gape in horror at the scene before her. Were they dead?! "Gizmo!" she screamed.   
  
The Keytool shook off its bloody coating like a wet cat shaking off water. It then resumed its previous form, a flaming sword, and flew back into her hand.  
  
Starwell cursed under her breath, using a rare word that would have earned a lecture from her mother. She screamed as her in-game User instinct kicked in; she managed to take down a couple of the bandits.  
  
Then an arrow pierced her shoulder, causing her to stagger. She grunted as she moved behind a thick tree trunk; a second arrow was driven into the bark. "Damnit, damnit, damnit!" she hissed. What was she supposed to do now?  
  
"Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun!" a strange new voice sang out, in what seemed to be a phony voice. "Don't worry, my dear! The wizard is here!" In the very next instant, something like a giant fireball exploded in the midst of the bandits. Starwell was caught in the impact despite being behind a tree; she was flung several meters and landed roughly on the ground.  
  
Thankfully the weeds softened her landing... even if the thorns didn't. "Ugh..." She slumped against the ground, fighting off a wave of dizziness.  
  
Gizmo beeped in alarm. It took a moment for the Keytool's remark to register,  
then Starwell's eyes flew wide. She sniffed the air, realizing that something was burning. Sure enough, her armor was smoking. She shrieked as she sat up, fueled by adrenaline. She ripped her armor off and threw it aside, stripping down to her underclothes.  
  
"Why not?" she muttered with a heavy sigh. "Being in my underwear seems like a theme for me in this game. Good thing Mom can't see me like this."  
  
Matrix, trying to push himself up, cursed. "Just what we need..."  
  
Mike the TV stepped into the midst of everything. The bandits were nothing more than charred corpses which still smoldered somewhat.  
  
Mike himself was wearing a wizard's hat and he wielded a staff. His lower body and legs were covered with something that appeared to be a wizard's robe.  
  
"My, my, what is that smell?" Mike said as he stepped over one of the corpses. "Did you know," he said, going into educational advertisement mode, "that forests are littered every cycle? Remember kids, we must remember to recompile rather than dispose. Whatever cannot be recompiled must be set to the recycling bin! And--"  
  
His screen changed to an image of a long, metallic device. "Call now and you can get this garbage pick! It extends, compresses, and it can be an expansion of your own arm! Get it now for only ninety-nine, ninety-nine, ninety nine!!"  
  
"MIKE!!" Yelled Matrix. Mike flinched, then his form drooped as he went sad-faced.  
  
"Ow... ow...." Starwell grumbled as she walked barefoot across the bumpy soil. She stepped into the clearing, rejoining the others. Somehow, she didn't even feel self-conscious about being in her skimpy underwear anymore.  
  
"You guys okay?" she asked, glancing at the others.  
  
"Yeah... Just gotta-" Matrix grunted when he grasped the embedded arrow, "I'll be fine. Check on Bob."  
  
Starwell hissed as she stubbed her toe on a rock in the ground. “I hate this place so, so much,” she growled as she sat down on the ground. “I’m gonna get killed, I just know it. Or if I don’t, I’m just gonna turn into a wolf again tonight.” Her shoulders slumped. Her skin tingled. She reached back and scratched an itch between her shoulders. “Ugh, don’t tell me I have fleas now! I’m not even a wolf right now, come on!”  
  
“Now presenting the handy-dandy flea collar!” Mike exclaimed. “It repels everything from miniature virals to energy-sucking nulls! Free for only--”  
  
“Oh will you shut the hell up?!” Starwell barked.  
  
Bob moaned, and rolled over. His eyes fluttered open. "...Did we win..?"  
  
"No, you didn't win," Starwell said bitterly. "Apparently I'm making it difficult for anybody to get out of this stupid game. It's still running because of me, remember?"  
  
Something tiny pricked at her skin again; she slapped her leg and itched it. Then she examined the area on her skin. Either she had fleas that she couldn't see, or the infection had more side-effects than simply making her skin glow.  
  
"Oh..." Bob's eyes rolled back, and he passed out.  
  
A grunt was heard, followed by a growl. Matrix had pulled out the arrow, but some of his characteristics seemed... off.  
  
Starwell sighed. "What are we gonna do now?" she asked, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.  
  
Mike produced a bag of marshmallows from nowhere. "Anybody want to start a camp fire?" he asked with a stupid grin.  
  
"No," Starwell snipped.  
  
Mike’s face fell, then he frowned and shook his staff at a small pile of wood, attempting to start a fire.  
  
Matrix broke the arrow imbedded in his bitmap, and threw it to the side, "Don't know. What time is it?"  
  
"How am I supposed to know?" Starwell snapped irritably. "Do I look like an expert on the time?"  
  
"Take a look a the sky then!" Matrix growled.  
  
"What the hell does it matter?" Starwell shouted, her voice cracking. "We're never getting out of here!"  
  
She huffed and pushed herself to her feet; her tender skin immediately protested. She gritted her teeth, growled, and moved toward one of the charred bodies. She hoped that one of the lootable corpses might have some salvageable footwear, at least.  
  
Matrix would have yelled something. He just got out of a fight and pulled an arrow from his chest, he did not need anyone giving him crap. He opened his mouth and stopped at a voice.  
  
"...Stop that..." Bob’s voice was strained, yet firm.  
  
Starwell stewed silently as she moved around carefully, checking out the charred corpses. She managed to obtain a pair of leather boots and a set of leather armor. She even managed to get a bow and a quiver full of arrows. At least she was armored and armed again... but for what? She would lose it all again when she became a werewolf.  
  
Starwell growled and threw her weapons against the ground almost apathetically.  
  
Bob struggled sitting up, "...Can't believe you two, flying off the handle like that..."  
  
"Is this a sign of domestic problems? Could it lead to violence? Tune in next week to hear on the Game File Channel!"   
  
Starwell grumbled something under her breath.  
  
[I could send a power surge through the television set,] Gizmo chirped. [That will change his channel. Or mute his speakers.]  
  
"Gizmo, shut up. Your jokes are stupid anyway." Starwell snapped.  
  
Gizmo squeaked, a little miffed and hurt.  
  
"...Oh, hey Mike, when did you get here...?" Bob asked.  
  
"I've been around," Mike said with a smile. "I was starting to think I was alone in the game until I found you guys! Now we can be a team and win the game together, like one big happy family!" He exclaimed in delight and grabbed Matrix's hand , latching onto it.  
  
Matrix jerked his hand away, and muttered something incoherent.  
  
Starwell inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. She knew that the last thing any of them needed was to keep being snippy.  
  
She glanced toward the sky. Then she looked at her Keytool. "Gizmo," she said, "how much time do we have left... before nightfall?" She gulped.  
  
Gizmo beeped. Starwell closed her eyes.  
  
"...What is it?" Bob asked.  
  
“I guess time flies more quickly than I thought. It’s only about five hours until nightfall,” Starwell replied quietly.  
  
Matrix got up, "Then there isn't anymore time to lose." He held out a hand to Bob, "Need help?"  
  
"...Sure." Bob grasped it, and pulled himself up. Bob staggered, but stood.  
  
"Even if we do find this spirit or whatever, and kill it... what then?" Starwell shrugged.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll find a way to help you!" Mike gave a swing of his magical staff. This resulted in a wisp of magical energy shooting from the end of it.  
  
"...Oops," Mike gave a nervous chuckle and took a sheepish step back.  
  
"Be careful with that thing, you-" Matrix noticed something at the corner of his eye, "Bob...?"  
  
In the place were Bob had been, stood a blue furred deer buck with silver-like horns.  
  
Starwell stared. Then she blinked a couple of times.  
  
"I guess me and Matrix aren't the only ones turning into animals now," she remarked. "Hey, change him back!" she snapped at Mike.  
  
"Uh, right!" Mike cleared his throat and tugged at his collar. "Uh..." He shook his staff. "I don't really know how!"  
  
Starwell did a face-palm. "Great...."  
  
"MIKE!!" Matrix roared, "YOU'RE DELETED!!" Matrix surged towards the appliance.  
  
The Bob-Deer became started, leaped to run, but ended up tripping into a sprawl.  
  
Mike screamed like a girl and bolted into the forest with Matrix hot on his tail.  
  
Starwell stood frozen in place, unsure what to do.


	18. Chapter 18

"Gizmo, uh...." She stammered, stumbling over her own tongue. She wasn't even sure what she was trying to say, or do, and Gizmo seemed even less certain.  
  
Matrix disappeared into the forest with Mike.  
  
The Bob-Deer looked terrified.  
  
Starwell felt more conflicted than ever. "Gizmo," she said, "can you change Bob back?"  
  
[...You must be joking. And joking… that's supposed to be my job!]  
  
"Okay, just forget it." Starwell gave the deer a meaningful glance. "Listen," she said in what she hoped was a soothing voice, "everything's okay. Just... stay right there, okay?" She took a tentative step forward, stretching out her arm as if to pet the deer. The deer stopped struggling, but it shook.  
  
Starwell gave the altered Guardian a sweet smile. "That's right," she said gently. "It's okay." She took a couple of very slow steps closer, remembering a skittish pony she had interacted at a petting zoo when she was seven. Somehow she’d managed to get close to it when not many others could.   
  
She gently touched the deer's head. "It's okay, you know me. You can trust me."  
  
Gizmo, however, chose to be devilish. [Hey, Glitch. Care to pass the buck? Are you and your Guardian going to attend a stag party?]  
  
The deer snorted.  
  
“Come on, now,” Starwell said, trying to urge the creature to accompany her. “We gotta go after Matrix, okay?”  
  
[What is the matter, Glitch? Deer got your tongue?]  
  
“Gizmo, shut up.”  
  
[Be quiet rogue,] Glitch concurred.  
  
The deer stood, very shaken, and it clumsily walked.  
  
"That's a good... deer," Starwell said pleasantly, feeling a little weird. Then again it was no more weird than when Bob tried to cheer her up while she was a wolf, she supposed.  
  
[Why do you keep referring to me as "rogue"?] Gizmo demanded of Glitch.  
  
[Because you are.]  
  
The deer walked towards her and tripped. Bob’s regular form fell over Starwell.  
  
Starwell felt her breath whoosh out of her lungs; the sprite was heavier than he looked. "B-Bob!" she gasped, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. "Get off of me!"  
  
[Get your lumbering Guardian off of her, Draconian,] Gizmo beeped in annoyance to Glitch.  
  
Starwell took a deep breath and managed to shove Bob aside enough to scoot out from under him. "I hate this game," she said again.  
  
"Oh, my head..." Bob lifted himself off the ground, "That was one of the strange experiences I've ever had.... Where's Matrix and Mike? And what in the Net happened to my armor!?" Bob was in nothing but the Game Default underwear.  
  
Starwell stood. She stared at him for a moment, then decided to address the most awkward question first. "Want my armor?" she smirked. "Hey, if I don't laugh I'm just gonna get mad again," she added quickly.  
  
“That’s okay, I’ll find something among the remains.”  
  
"Go for it." Starwell began to pace aimlessly around the clearing, trying to ease some of her restlessness.  
  
The only things Bob could find were fur-armored pants and boots. To co-inside with the game, his chest became bare, rather than retaining an under shirt.  
  
"Nice body," Starwell teased. Perhaps it was a good sign she was picking up a sense of humor. It was better to poke fun at things than to keep getting mad about it; that's what Greg seemed to insist upon, at least.  
  
Then again, Greg was also the kid who kept ending up in detention at school for certain... antics. It also tended to get him grounded at home.  
  
Bob gave an embarrassed, awkward grin. He might have said something, but he became distracted when the Keytools began beeping at each other.  
  
[Glitch,] Gizmo chirped into the silence, [explain something to me.]  
  
[What is it, rogue.]  
  
[I want you to explain to me why you keep calling me 'rogue'. Who says I am a rogue? What gave you that impression?] Gizmo asked Glitch.  
  
[You are not registered. You are not on a Guardian. You are not official.]  
  
[Oh yeah? What does that mean, exactly? That you want me to sign up with the Keytool Collective?] Gizmo quipped.  
  
Starwell cast a glance at her Keytool, but otherwise ignored the conversation the same way she would ignore a family member talking on a cell phone. If Gizmo wanted to talk to one of its own kind, or whatever, that was fine with her.  
  
"Anyway," the girl said, "Matrix ran off that way." She pointed. "He was chasing Mike after he..." She coughed. "Turned you into a deer."  
  
"I know. You don't forget being forced into a ReBoot. Everything felt weird, and I couldn't get over being scared over everything, it was a nightmare."  
  
Starwell turned to look at him. Her face softened into a sympathetic expression. "Yeah... becoming something else isn't much fun. Neither is becoming a wolf that... hungers." She shuddered slightly. "Which I'm gonna become again in a few hours." Her shoulders slumped.  
  
[Glitch,] Gizmo pressed, [you recognize my... companion as something other than a Guardian. Tell me then, what is she?]  
  
Starwell shot her Keytool a warning glare. Even so, part of her mind continued to wonder if she should try trusting Bob with the truth of what she was. Even if he might not believe her.  
  
[Your partner is unconventional,] was all that Glitch replied to Gizmo.  
  
"We'll work through it, Starwell,” Bob assured her. He had the cure safely tucked away in his inventory backpack, where he should have kept it all along. Nothing would be able to get to it now. Thankfully, inventory backpacks were weightless and invisible once they were equipped; they were like a storage space you could put things in that were part of you, but were unseen and intangible. Yet you could access its contents at any time.  
  
[Unconventional? Elaborate.] Gizmo chirped gleefully, enjoying the guessing game. It felt Starwell's pain, and it took pleasure in bantering with its fellow Keytool as a mild diversion.   
  
Gizmo knew it couldn't help much with Starwell's infection anyway. All it could do was divert its attention elsewhere instead of indulging in negative emotion as the User seemed to. There were far more pleasant emotions, after all!  
  
[Unknown. Coding is different, unidentifiable.]  
  
[Then what do you think she is?] Gizmo pressed mischievously.  
  
[Unknown.]  
  
Starwell locked eyes with Bob, not even looking at her Keytool. Could she risk it? Could she... try telling him?  
  
"Bob... there's something I want to talk to you about." She scratched her arm   
distractedly and broke eye contact, staring at a fern on the ground instead.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Starwell slowly sat down on a patch of grass. She was silent for a moment or two, gathering her thoughts. "Well... we both know that this game thinks I'm a User," she said, choosing her words carefully. "And we were talking about stuff before. You said you think the Guardians made me to emulate a User? Do you... have any other thoughts on that matter?"  
  
Bob remained silent, looking to the side in thought.  
  
Starwell placed a hand over her Keytool, silently urging it to be quiet. She was nervous enough as it was; she wanted the Keytools to stop their chatter.  
  
"Well, what are you thinking?" Starwell prompted after a short wait. "You must have some thoughts about it." Her voice took on a slight edge due to her nervousness.  
  
Bob smiled, "I think you're a young girl, far away from home."  
  
Starwell let out a breath. "Yeah well that's obvious. But what else would you say I am?" She licked her lips, trying to remember the correct terminology. "My... format?"  
  
“Your format? Well… I don’t really know.”  
  
"What if it's more obvious than that?" Somehow Starwell managed to look up at him without exactly looking at him. "That maybe... I am a User?"   
  
She felt her energy pulse skip a beat as she awaited his reply.  
  
Bob looked at her. He had a mix of focus, determination, and being unsure, and neither showed itself clearly. He wanted to say something, but what could he say? "I don't know."  
  
Starwell found herself unsure what to say. Memories of her bad experiences with Anna Code back in her Uncle's System before she escaped flooded into her mind. Perhaps it was better if Bob truly thought she was a regular sprite.   
  
"I guess it doesn't matter," she finally amended with a slight shrug. "I feel weird even talking to you about this. There was someone in another system who wanted to... delete me for being what I am."  
  
"I'm not someone," Bob said it with determination, and his old fashioned cocky smile.  
  
"Yeah. Okay."  
  
A snap of a twig and some rustling of leaves caused her head to snap up. Matrix was returning, and he didn't look very happy.  
  
"Hey, Matrix," Starwell greeted quietly. "What happened to Mike?"  
  
"I lost that little-" Matrix perked up, "Bob?"  
  
"Yeah, its me," Bob gave a light but stern look, "You didn't have to chase off Mike."  
  
"He was asking for it."  
  
Bob rolled his eyes and shrugged, not even fazed, "Oh well."  
  
Starwell stood up and brushed a couple of dead leaves from her armor. "Matrix?" she said, getting the burly sprite's attention. "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. I'm just... you know." She trailed off.  
  
Part of her didn't feel like apologizing. Nevertheless, she knew she would have to stick it out with these sprites for a while. It was better to keep things friendly, especially since she knew they cared in their own way.  
  
Matrix rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah... I'm sorry, too."  
  
Bob retained his cocky smile, "Well, now that's out of the way, how about we go ghost hunting?"  
  
"Do we have to?" Starwell almost whined, then became aware of how much like a six-year-old that sounded.  
  
Gizmo beeped a reminder at her. [You want to get cured so that we can leave, don't you?] It flashed a brief hologram of the Main Menu option that only Starwell could see.  
  
She understood. She couldn't leave the game until her infection was cured... at least, it wasn't a good idea to risk it.  
  
"Yeah, we have to," Starwell answered her own question before the others could. "Well," she sighed heavily, "which way do we go?"  
  
"Glitch, Map." Bob examined his Keytool's screen. He pointed in a direction, "That way, out of the forest, by a river and in between some mountains. It isn't as long as it sounds."  
  
Gizmo beeped a few times, confirming this for Starwell's benefit.  
  
"If you guys say so," Starwell remarked. One thought worried her, however. "But what if we don't make it there before..." She clutched her arm, eyeing her glowing skin.  
  
"We'll get there," said Bob, "It going to be okay, Starwell."  
  
"...I'll trust you, Bob," said Matrix, "But you better know what you're getting into."  
  
"I figured that out last night."  
  
Gizmo chirped something comforting at Starwell. She gave the Keytool a small, half-smile, though she didn't feel very assured.  
  
"Let's just get going," she said, already moving forward. She didn't want to think about turning into a furry monster again until she absolutely had to. She clutched her newly equipped bow tightly in her hands, ready for anything.  
  
At least, she hoped she was ready for anything.  
  
"Right, follow me,” the Guardian said.  
  
The forest got considerably lighter as they walked, the trees were sparse and the sky could be seen. Soon enough, the three were walking near a cliff, which over looked a large, deep river.  
  
Starwell peered into the water below, momentarily transfixed at the sight of it. She'd always had a fascination with moving water that she couldn't identify or explain. She found herself impressed by how real the graphics made it appear.  
  
Part of her longed to touch the water, to feel its wetness over her hands, to see if it was cool or even cold.  
  
A few fish could be seen jumping. "Anybody wanna go fishing?" she quipped. In truth, she didn't want to go fishing, though it was something she might have tried if she had the luxury of playing a game like this from outside the computer.  
  
"Umm Starwell?"  
  
"Kid, we don't have time."  
  
“Forget it,” Starwell replied grumpily. “I was just kidding anyway.” She was about to start walking again when she noticed a bit of movement down below, along the edge of the river. “Hey, what’s that?” she pointed. It didn’t look like an animal or anything that had washed up on the shore.  
  
Bob and Matrix stopped to look. Neither of them had a decent enough weapon to face anything big, especially if its some sort of river monster.  
  
Instead of that, they saw yellow and square...  
  
"MIKE!!" Matrix yelled.  
  
The TV nearly jumped out of his bitmap as he leaped a full meter into the air, startled. "AHHHH!" He then gasped in and out. "Don't do that!" he wheezed, a bit over-dramatically.  
  
"What're you doing down there?" Starwell called to him.  
  
"Nothing." Mike said simply.  
  
"Just be careful with that staff of yours," Starwell cautioned. "Remember what happened last time." Since she didn't know Mike very well at all, she wasn't quite sure what to make him. But she did know he irritated Matrix (obviously) and that he was prone to... well, clumsiness, at the very least.  
  
"Yeah, I don't want to end up a Null because you were careless," pointed out Bob.  
  
Mike raised his staff, giving it a slight shake. "Practice makes perfect!" he said, holding the ornate, crystalline staff over the water. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, witness as the Magnificent Mike performs his greatest Magical Act yet!"  
  
As a fish jumped out of the water, a wisp of white magic burst from the staff and engulfed the small creature. Within a second, it expanded and grew into a rather large shark-like beast.  
  
The creature looked about, and then grinned hungrily in Mike's direction.  
  
"Run!" Yelled Bob, as he grabbed the Appliance.  
  
Starwell screamed and began to run right behind Bob.  
  
"OW! Go easy on the household appliance!" Mike cried out at Bob. "My warranty has expired--though if I suffer damage, I can have any part replaced at any local repair shop for any ninety-nine--"  
  
"LOOK OUT!" Starwell yelled.  
  
The shark began to swim closer to the shore, licking its chops in anticipation. It's focus seemed to shift from Mike to bigger, juicier prey.  
  
It's gaze settled on Matrix, the biggest sprite with the large muscles. The shark grinned and leaped out of the water, lunging toward the burly sprite.


	19. Chapter 19

Unlike the others, Matrix stayed. "Targeting." The renegade socked the thing. The creature found itself being hurled back into the water, impacting with a mighty splash that soaked Matrix’s boots.  
  
“Matrix, come on!” Starwell yelled, stopping in her tracks.  
  
In response, Matrix grinned darkly. "Oh no, I'm finishing this."  
  
“Gross, I don’t want to watch,” Starwell muttered, remembering the incident with the snake. She turned around and half-covered her eyes. In truth, she knew she might end up doing something… unpleasant again when she became a wolf. She wanted to try and keep her mind as clean as possible until that point.  
  
Then again, who was she kidding? She’d already helped slaughter a clearing full of bandits. Whether she liked it or not she would just have to get used to this reality, for now. The most ironic thing was that she’d seen it all before whenever she played Games from outside the Net. It was just a whole new ballgame when you had to see it up close and personal, not to mention have your senses violated with the stench of blood.  
  
She tried to tune out Mike as the TV began to spout off something about fresh sushi and an ad for dishes and serving utensils.  
  
The game-sprite was floating, or what was left of it, in the water when Matrix was done. "So, we were heading somewhere?"  
  
Starwell said nothing. She simply shook her head and started walking again.  
  
Mike followed her. He started to say something--but then he tripped over a rock. He helped, clutching his staff as he fell. A burst of magical power exploded from the end of the staff, impacting the water. "Whoops," Mike said.  
  
Starwell sighed and shot him an irritated glance. "If that is gonna make more sharks..." she growled.  
  
Only it didn't. It did something much, much worse.  
  
Matrix caught up with the group, and was about to yell at Mike when Bob beat him to the punch. "What did you do?"  
  
Mike stared at the water as it began to rise at an alarming rate. All he could do was shrug his shoulders.  
  
Starwell's eyes widened as she began to back up. Gizmo beeped in alarm as the river proceeded to flow more rapidly. "Uh, guys," she said, "I don't like the looks of this."  
  
"Now we move!!" yelled Bob.  
  
Starwell didn't need to be told twice; she began to run away from the water at the same instant the others did.  
  
A powerful wave washed up behind her; it knocked her off of her feet. "Gizmo!" she yelled. "Do s--" Her sentence was cut off as another wave of water hit her. It filled her mouth and forced its way down her throat, threatening to choke her.  
  
"Starwell!" Bob yelled over the sound of the water, "Enzo!!"  
  
Matrix, having been behind all of them, hadn't been able to resist the currents.  
  
Starwell found herself being twisted around in the moving rapids like a helpless rag doll. She desperately tried to get her head above the water, but all attempts to swim or kick toward the surface were in vain.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she just happened to end up near the surface. By that point it felt like her lungs were going to explode. She coughed, spluttered and choked as she gasped greedily for air.   
  
She managed to grab onto a floating branch; she slumped over it, unable to speak or utter a sound. She spit water out of her mouth and focused on her breathing, even as the waters continued to rise around her.  
  
Starwell continued to choke and splutter as she clung to her branch. Once she finally managed to stop choking and start breathing more normally, she looked around.  
  
She was in the middle of the flowing rapids, moving so quickly that it seemed dangerous to try and aim for shore. She cringed as she moved past a couple of jagged rocks sticking out of the water, missing one of them by centimeters.  
  
Suddenly she noticed something out of the corner of her eye; a discoloration in the rushing water. The sight of armor and green skin was unmistakable; the sprite was trying to swim, trying to keep his head above water.  
  
"Matrix!" she shouted, stretching an arm in his direction. She used her other arm to cling to the branch as tightly as she could. If she could reach him, she could only hope the branch could support them both.  
  
He was gagging, sputtering. Water was in his lungs, and he couldn't seem to get it out.  
  
The currents whipped him around, he kept getting pulled under.  
  
Then he heard his name, or thought he did, and saw in his struggle Starwell. She was reaching out to him...  
  
"Starw-" A part of what was once a tree trunk whipped in the water. It slammed into him and pulled him too far under to swim out of the currents.  
  
"MATRIX!" Starwell screamed. She clung all the more tightly to the branch as the tree trunk came in her direction. It knocked into her and then rolled, causing an enormous, leafy branch to slam down on top of her.  
  
Her arms scraped against the rough bark as she was forced underwater. She clamped her hands over her mouth to fight against the instinct of inhaling.  
  
Starwell couldn't see anything; she could only hold her breath and allow the currents to carry her along as she desperately hoped her lungs wouldn't burst.  
  
Starwell gasped explosively when her head finally emerged from the surface of the water. She continued to be forced forward, yet somehow she ended up closer and closer to Matrix. She ended up bumping into him once or twice, yet neither of them managed to grab the other.  
  
They continued to be carried and yanked about in the rapid current for a little while. Eventually, Starwell finally managed to grab Matrix's arm.  
  
Then she eyed the shoreline, wondering if Gizmo could do something to get them both out. "Gizmo," she gasped, "uh... form a line!"  
  
Nothing.  
  
Then she noticed the Keytool wasn't attached to her arm. She gasped in horror. Had Gizmo been swept away in the current?  
  
"GIZMO!" she yelled. But there was no reply. No sign of the Keytool anywhere.  
  
Then she noticed something that made her gasp with horror. "MATRIX!" She yelled, pointing.  
  
They were headed straight for a waterfall. They were about to go over.

0o0o0o0o0

"Enzo! Starwell!" Bob yelled. Then he did what he was famous for. He dived right in without thinking.  
  
Bob tried. By the Code, he tried. The water pushed and pulled him, he found himself gurgling water. He tried to keep Starwell and Matrix in his sight, tried to reach them. They disappeared before he could reach them.  
  
He was yelling their names, trying to until he couldn't speak from the water, and couldn't breath because his lungs had stopped.   
  
Just when he thought that he saw something near the shore, something yellow and square, he ran head first into a rock.  
  
"OW! Now that's gotta hurt!" Mike exclaimed with the closest thing he could ever summon to empathy. He stared at the Guardian for a long moment. Mike had managed to grab hold of a rock in the middle of the river, a rather tall rock whose peak stuck through the surface like a pike.  
  
As the unconscious Guardian began to drift by, Mike reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his furred armor. "Looks like we found something, just around the river bend!" the TV remarked.  
  
"Hello?" Mike's arm was straining as he attempted to hold onto Bob. "Ya gotta wake up, partner," he said in a mock cowboy accent. "The Calvary ain't coming."  
  
There was no response. Bob was out cold.  
  
Mike grunted. He decided to try something. He reached for his staff--only that meant letting go of the rock.   
  
The TV screamed as he and Bob began to flow down the river together. Mike gave a frantic wave of his magical staff. "Uh, uh, Open Sesame? Presto?" He began to gag as water flooded into his mouth.  
  
There was a puff of magic, and suddenly Mike and Bob were splashed onto the shore.  
  
Bob collapsed into a heap of arms and legs near Mike. The TV gasped and hacked for a moment, his screen flashing with static.  
  
"Water... water everywhere..." Mike gasped over-dramatically. "It's bad... very bad.. for household appliances!" He clutched himself in a dramatic, pitiful manner. "Tell... my mother... I love her." He sniffled.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Darkness. Darkness, and he wasn't feeling anything. He was floating. Had he been deleted? Someone was calling him... Dot? AndrAIa? No, someone younger...  
  
Starwell.  
  
Matrix gasped for breath in the rushing currents. Starwell was on his arm, she was shrieking at something ahead. Water disappearing... Water disappearing?! Waterfall. Ah, Shovelware.  
  
Gasping Starwell around the waist, Matrix began to push towards the shore. He wasn't strong enough, the currents were still pulling on them. He had to do something. Anything.  
  
A tree. Its roots were sticking out in the water, almost unaffected by the rushing water. Matrix reached out, and grabbed the closest root. The roots ripped at its base, but it did not break.  
  
He could only hope for the best.  
  
Starwell had bitten down so hard on her lower lip that her teeth drew blood. She wrapped her arms around Matrix's neck as if hanging on for dear life.  
  
"I don't want to die," she whimpered. After everything she had survived so far, she knew now more than ever that she didn't want to go down in a stupid accident in nature. "Please, please don't let go."  
  
“I won’t,” Matrix assured her. “I’m not going to let go.”  
  
"Can we get to the shore, somehow?" Starwell asked through grated teeth. "I... lost Gizmo."  
  
Matrix gritted his teeth. He looked up at the tree roots. "Try to get on my shoulders and climb up."  
  
Starwell looked up. Then she looked at Matrix with wide, fearful eyes. "I'm scared," she whispered, but her words were lost in the noisy rapids.  
  
"I'm scared!" she shouted as some waves slapped the shoreline near the tree. "What if I fall?"  
  
"Don't be... I'm right here I won't let you fall."  
  
Starwell squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. She thought briefly of Uncle Frank's house, where her brother was probably still sleeping on the couch in front of the television, lucky little brat.  
  
She thought briefly of her parents, her school... her friends. Even the annoying, gossiping Donna. After her adventures in the Net, she even missed the most annoying girl that she knew. Who would have imagined?  
  
"Okay," she finally breathed, and gripped Matrix's shoulders. "You better come up right behind me," she told him firmly as she attempted to lift herself up.  
  
“I will,” Matrix promised.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Gizmo shrieked as it flowed along with the rapid current, and then ended up going over the waterfall. It let out a loud, Keytool wail during the descent into the rapids below.  
  
It was simply a good thing that Keytools could not drown.  
  
Gizmo continued to bounce and bump along the current for a while, though it became steadily calmer.   
  
A large trout took notice of the moving Keytool and mistook it for food. It swam toward Gizmo and opened its mouth wide, getting ready to snatch and swallow-  
  
And then Gizmo expanded just as the fish attempted this. Gizmo grew in size so rapidly that the fish exploded from the inside out into nothing more than a pile of fragmented pixels that quickly vanished.  
  
Gizmo laughed, and then hurtled itself out of the water and onto the nearby shore. Then it sat there for a long moment.  
  
Whenever left alone, the waiting and silence always became too much for the User Keytool. But what could it do?   
  
Then it got an idea. [Glitch,] Gizmo attempted long-distance communication with the only other Keytool anywhere nearby. [Glitch, answer me. Gliiiiiiitttttcccchhhh....] Gizmo practically wailed.  
  
[-##@#$%%-Not reaching-%%#@#$%]  
  
[Glitch? Come on, I am separated from Starwell. Where are you and that Guardian of yours?]  
  
[-@###$$##**##%%-]  
  
[Glitch if you're doing that on purpose, it is not funny. Talk to me!]  
  
[-@@##@@-]  
  
[I give up,] Gizmo beeped with the Keytool equivalent of a sigh. Apparently the distance factor (perhaps even getting wet) was effecting both of the Keytools.  
  
Though there seemed to be something else interfering with things as well. Perhaps the Guardian was offline again.  
  
Gizmo decided it would simply have to wait a little while.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell grunted as she grasped a branch above their heads; she carefully maneuvered herself enough to place a boot on Matrix's shoulder, and stepped upward.  
  
With some effort she managed to crawl on top of the tree. It creaked dangerously under her weight as a fresh wave splashed by.  
  
She clung tightly to the tree trunk, her fingers digging into the bark. She remained frozen in place, too startled to move.  
  
"I'm coming up!" Matrix started his climb. The roots were slick, and his weight didn't help any. Just as he pulled himself at the top, one of the roots holding him gave way. He managed to jam holes into the bark for his fingers to latch on to.  
  
That was when he noticed her. "You have to move! I can't pull myself up if you are there!"  
  
"I-I can't!" She trembled. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her energy pulse raced through her veins--or circuits.  
  
She looked at her hands. They were gripping the tree so tightly that her knuckles were white. Her limbs seemed frozen; they seemed to ignore commands from her brain to move.  
  
"You have to!" There was cracking underneath him, "Starwell!!"  
  
She screamed, and an adrenaline rush seemed to kick in. Her fingers nearly scraped raw against the bark as she forced them to move; she began to crawl forward along the tree trunk.   
  
"There you go! Keep going!" Matrix pulled himself up, wary of the creaking noise and the wild waves.  
  
Starwell whimpered as she continued moving forward. It felt like an impossible distance that she had to cross, but she could only keep going.  
  
She shrieked and flinched at every creak, and every time the tree moved even slightly. "I'm gonna make it," she breathed under her breath with determination. "I'm gonna make it... I'm gonna make it."  
  
She continued to inch forward. Despite the speed, Matrix kept saying encouragements. Eventually Starwell finally made it within arm's reach of the shore. She held her breath as she hauled herself over the roots and dropped onto the solid ground beside it.   
  
Just as she got off the entire tree shifted a bit, creaking dangerously. One of the roots snapped. Her eyes flew wide. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes snapped toward Matrix.  
  
“I’m fine! Keep going!” Matrix shouted.  
  
She moved away from the roots, then pushed herself to her feet. She stumbled forward until she reached a safe distance from the water, then turned to look back.  
  
"Matrix!" she yelled. "Come on!" The roots were cracking; they looked like they wouldn't last much longer.


	20. Chapter 20

Matrix ended up ripping most of the roots as he went, and his hands became raw and even bleed from constantly slipping on the bark. He managed to get to the top, and scrambled to safety.  
  
Starwell watched him, barely breathing until she was sure he was safe. Just as his feet became firmly planted on the soil, the tree finished ripping away from its roots and then tumbled down the waterfall. Matrix had made it with only seconds to spare.  
  
For a moment, Starwell only stared at him.  
  
Then, before even she realized what she was doing, she hugged him. Her shoulders trembled. "We made it," she breathed.  
  
Matrix didn't feel surprise, or discomfort, or anything other than relief. He hugged her back, "Yeah. We did."  
  
Starwell held onto him for a moment longer, then let go and pulled back.   
  
"I lost Gizmo," she said aloud. "I gotta look for him."  
  
"I'm sure he's fine-..." Matrix stopped, a look of realization on his face. "BOB!"  
  
Starwell's eyes widened. She licked her lips, looking determined. "You go look for Bob," she said. "I'll look for Gizmo... meet you back here, okay?" She was already moving.  
  
Matrix stood and watched Starwell go. What else could he do at the moment? He started walking a long the shore. The water was still rapid, the falls were roaring. He saw across the river, just barely, the outline of a fallen sprite and...  
  
Mike. Well, there was worse company. He might have called out to them. He would have. If he hadn't felt the familiar throbbing pain.  
  
What time was it? It couldn't be happening now! Matrix's eyes widened. Starwell!  
  
He turned and bolted, "Starwell!!"  
  
Starwell had just started to make her way down a steep ledge, screaming Gizmo's name, when she began to feel strange. It was a familiar, ominous feeling that made her stomach tie itself into knots.  
  
Had she seriously forgotten already? Had she simply survived the dangerous water rapids just to go through this again? Her skin was glowing more brightly than before, indicating it was about to happen again.  
  
She gritted her teeth. "No... no, not again!" She gave a little shriek and sat down on the ground. Her fingers pressed into her temples as she tried to fight it.  
  
Her eyes glanced toward the sky. Sure enough, it had gone dark; the last trace of light in the horizon was vanishing.  
  
"No..." She sucked in a breath through her teeth. "I don't want this to happen again!"  
  
Matrix found her, sitting on the ground in pain. He collapsed when he stopped moving. Pain shot up, ragged breaths became growls, and his code began to rewrite once again.  
  
Starwell glanced sharply in the direction of animalistic sounds, seeing Matrix there. She saw his form begin to change, muscles enlarging as his newly donned armor vanished. She had just enough time to release a small cry before it overtook her again. Her bitmap rippled with silvery fur as her nose and mouth seemed to burst out of her face, extending in length as they became a snout. A furry tail brought up the rear, once again growing from her tailbone.   
  
She collapsed on the ground momentarily, then she shakily got to her feet. She felt hungry. So, so hungry. Her teeth bared and she snarled.  
  
A short distance from her, another wolf howled.  
  
Starwell turned to look at Matrix. Her ears stood erect as she regarded his altered form, then pressed flat against her skull. She barked. Then she worked her mouth to get out a coherent word or two. "Matrix! I--" Her words cut off with a snarl. She stamped her paw in frustration at her inability to speak much.  
  
He felt hungry. He felt very, very hungry. He was drooling. He tried to get the scent of something, but all the water and mud in the air prevented any scents from coming through. He snarled and growled, and he paced, frustrated.  
  
Starwell growled empathically, knowing exactly how he felt. Previous experience as a wolf, however, had taught her that she had more self-control in these situations than Matrix did... at least it seemed that way.  
  
Perhaps it was because she was a User. Unlike Matrix, she even had the limited ability to speak.  
  
"Matrix!" She put herself in his path and looked up at him. Even in wolf forms, where each of them were larger than their normal sprite forms, he was so much larger than her. But she knew he wouldn't hurt her.   
  
"Follow!" She indicated herself with a paw, and then indicated a direction with her snout. Perhaps both of them could look for Gizmo together. She also wanted to keep Matrix away from Bob's general direction, at least for now. Bob would surely be fine on his own... she hoped.  
  
The animal wanted food more than anything else, but this strange wolf in front of him...  
  
Starwell. Matrix blinked, remembering. Animal instincts were riding on him, and he found it difficult to keep his memories or control intact. But he remembered Starwell. Now, anyway. He tried to reply, but all that came out was a weak bark.  
  
She took that at as acknowledgement; she noticed the recognition in his eyes. "Follow," she managed to utter again. It always hurt her throat to speak in this form.   
  
She began to back up, then she slowly turned and moved in a direction that followed alongside the current of the river. "Gizmo," she croaked. "Want.... find."  
  
Gizmo? Matrix couldn't remember.... It was something annoying though.

Starwell walked slowly alongside the river bank, moving downhill at a gradual pace. She sniffed at the dirt, attempting to pick up Gizmo's scent.  
  
Her snout edged closer and closer to the water until she pressed her nose into the water. She accidentally inhaled a nose-full of water. She snapped her head up, coughing a little. Then she sneezed right in Matrix's face.  
  
Matrix shook his head. Automatically, he cuffed Starwell, playfully.  
  
The She-Wolf whimpered and balked, but then she realized it wasn't a malicious gesture. She bared her teeth, the closest thing she could manage to an impish grin in her current form. She wagged her tail, then she playfully pounced on Matrix.  
  
Matrix yipped. Being larger than Starwell, he was able to push her off. On all fours, his tail wagging in the air, he slapped his forepaws on the ground. The only thought in his mind....  
  
Play.  
  
Her quest to find Gizmo momentarily forgotten, Starwell growled playfully. She edged around Matrix, then feigned to the left as if getting ready to run away. Instead she bolted around behind him and grabbed his tail between her teeth. Then she yanked his tail.  
  
Matrix yelped. In response, he pounced on her, laying his full weight to keep her down.  
  
Starwell squirmed underneath him, at least she tried to. All she could do was growl indignantly. "No... fair!" she managed to bark out.  
  
Matrix gave a playful growl, and then did the wolfish equivalent of laughing.  
  
Starwell's wolfish face contorted into the closest thing she could manage to a glare. "Let... me... up," she managed to bark. She lifted one paw enough to give his cheek a light cuff.  
  
Reluctant, Matrix moved. He still have the playful attitude though.  
  
Starwell moved away from him, then she looked at him and bared her teeth.  
  
"Catch me!" she dared, and she began to sprint as quickly as her legs could carry her.  
  
Matrix gave the wolfish equivalency of a smile, and bolted after her.  
  
Starwell yipped as she sprinted around the trees. One advantage she had was that she was smaller, slimmer, and therefore more maneuverable.  
  
She barked as she dodged and weaved through a tighter area of the forest, avoiding tree trunks and low branches.  
  
Suddenly she came to a halt, stopping so fast that she nearly tripped over her own feet. Her neck went erect as she looked around, her ears twitching.  
  
She thought she heard something... familiar. Was it... a beeping sound?  
  
Matrix pounced on her. Starwell yelped indignantly, forgetting the sound she had heard. She growled playfully and reached up to nip his ear. She tugged it. He yipped, and lightly smacked her with his paw. Starwell bared her teeth, as if getting ready to bite his nose. Then she licked his face in an affectionate, puppy-dog-like manner.  
  
The beeping noise sounded off again. Matrix noticed the beeping. He growled. Starwell maneuvered herself out from under Matrix, and perked her ears up at the sound.  
  
Gizmo?  
  
She barked in acknowledgement; the Keytool answered enthusiastically. She wagged her tail and began to move toward the sound.  
  
Matrix followed, though he wasn't happy about it. The beeping was annoying.  
  
Starwell found the Keytool laying in the sand next to the water. This area of the river was far more shallow, almost like a wide, gently flowing stream.  
  
"Giz-mo," she managed to speak. It always hurt her throat when she spoke in this form, but she could manage.  
  
Gizmo beeped positively, and then zipped toward her and attached itself to her forearm.  
  
The Keytool chirped repeatedly, delighted and relieved to be rejoined with Starwell.  
  
Starwell bared her teeth in the wolf equivalent of a smile, then she looked back at Matrix.  
  
That was when she remembered something. "Bob," she barked before she could stop herself. Then she glanced at Matrix in concern. Could the bigger wolf be trusted not to attack Bob if they found him? Or Mike?  
  
...Bob?  
  
For a moment, the name rang empty. Then, it hit him. The River, the rushing water, he and Starwell being taken in, Bob diving in for them...  
  
Eyes wide, and ears erect, Matrix knew he needed to find the Guardian.  
  
Starwell saw his expression; its meaning registered in her mind. "Matrix," she barked, attempting to get his attention. "Is... it... safe?"  
  
She hoped he understand what she meant, especially since she couldn't talk much in this form. Could they trust themselves around Bob, or would they see him as potential prey? Would Matrix trust himself?  
  
Matrix began moving, growling at Starwell in a gesture to follow him.  
  
Starwell hesitated, her ears pressing flat against her skull. She whined, staring at the larger wolf with wide, uncertain eyes. She did not attempt to speak, she simply gave him a long, meaningful look. Are you sure it's safe? For Bob?  
  
With his head, he gestured for her to follow, and then bounded off.  
  
Starwell growled, then decided that she had no choice. She leaped into a sprint and followed him. If he wanted to take a chance like this, maybe she could stop him if he forgot himself and tried to harm Bob.   
  
They raced through the forest until they came to a discoloration on the ground. One of the was the familiar Guardian, who seemed to be stirring. The other was an all-too-familiar TV.  
  
Mike let out a yowl as the two wolves approached him. "There are strays in this forest! Call the dog-catchers!"  
  
Starwell gave the TV a look and sat on her haunches. "Here, fetch!" Mike threw his magician's staff. Starwell caught it between her teeth. She held it, narrowing her eyes at the TV.  
  
Matrix faced Mike, and growled, showing teeth.   
  
Hunger...  
  
Starwell's gaze shot toward the bigger wolf with concern. She felt the pangs of hunger and the thirst for blood inside her, too. The almost feral instinct was amplified when in the presence of a potential victim.  
  
She bit down on the staff in her mouth so hard she nearly cracked it. She then moved forward and positioned herself between Matrix and Mike. She met the larger wolf's eyes, attempting to stare him down and get him to back off.  
  
Matrix showed his teeth a while longer, then snorted and sat down.  
  
Starwell felt relieved.  
  
Mike finally stopped trembling. "There, there, Fido," he said, "come on, let me have my staff back!" He grasped the end of it and tugged.  
  
The She-wolf growled and held her grip firm.  
  
On her furry foreleg, Gizmo beeped. [Hey Glitch. How are you doing, pal?]   
  
[Waiting.]  
  
Mike continued to tug on the end of his staff. Starwell growled, baring her teeth, but the TV didn't take the hint.  
  
Not wanting to trust him with the staff anymore, Starwell gave her furry head a toss and flung it into the river.  
  
[Well that just proves it,] Gizmo beeped at Glitch. [Your Guardian is a weightless bum.] It was an obvious attempt to annoy the other Keytool.  
  
[Waiting…]  
  
[Is that the only word you know right now? Are you... Glitchy?]  
  
Starwell gave a short bark at her Keytool. Then she slowly walked toward Bob. She nuzzled his cheek with his nose, trying to wake him up.  
  
She found herself eyeing his bare chest. Gizmo noticed. [Care to snack on some beefcake?] the small joker beeped.  
  
Starwell momentarily forgot her hunger. It was replaced by irritation; she snatched the Keytool off of her foreleg, clenching it just enough between her teeth for Gizmo to feel it.  
  
Gizmo squawked in indignation.  
  
“…Frisket… go away…” Bob muttered.  
  
Starwell released her Keytool. Gizmo clattered on the ground, then gave a comical series of beeps as it re-attached itself to her foreleg. The She-wolf cocked her head to one side. What's a Frisket? It took her a moment to remember what Matrix had told her, back in the cell. Oh yeah, his pet dog…  
  
Feeling a hint of that devilish, playful streak return, she bared her teeth. She planted her front paws on Bob's chest and grabbed a mouthful of his hair. She tugged.  
  
In the meantime, Mike was airing a commercial about bad breath in pets and a special "cyberpaste" designed to cleanse teeth in mongrels.  
  
"Ow, ow, OW, OW!" Bob shot awake, and found a wolf creature on him. "Uh..."  
  
Starwell’s wolfish lips pulled away from her teeth in the lupine equivalent of a grin. Well, at least it couldn't be said she wasn't having fun in this form. Sort of. Or maybe she was getting used to it.  
  
....Scary thought.  
  
Gizmo beeped again. [Hey, Glitchy. Done waiting yet?] it teased.  
  
[…]  
  
“Um, Starwell?” Bob grunted. “Can you let go? Please?” Starwell yipped and backed off, getting off of the Guardian.   
  
Gizmo beeped something again, but this time it was to Starwell. The She-wolf gave the Keytool a look, but.... she was still in her playful mode. She gave another bared-tooth grin. Then she snatched Glitch off of Bob's arm and held it between her fangs.  
  
"Hey!" Bob jumped up. It was a bad mistake, as he ended up falling back down, face first. His legs couldn't hold his weight, and he felt very exhausted.  
  
Starwell cocked her head to one side, barely noticing as Mike began to quote a commercial about painkillers or something. She cast a glance toward Matrix, who simply seemed to be sitting there. She then glanced back at Bob. She felt guilty for what she'd done, though her playful wolf side just couldn't resist.  
  
She did not run off with the Keytool that was not hers. But she did crouch and tighten her grip on Glitch, as if daring the Guardian to come get it.  
  
"Oh come on..." said Bob, "Didn't anyone tell you to respect your Guardians? Please give my Keytool back."  
  
Starwell grunted, then set Glitch on the ground in front of Bob.  
  
[Your Guardian is a spoilsport,] Gizmo beeped.  
  
Glitch did not respond. Bob picked up his Keytool and placed it back on his forearm, where it nestled in. Then the Guardian stood up and brushed himself off.  
  
Starwell cocked her head to one side, eyeing Bob. “Still… have… cure?” she asked. He’d better still have it, she thought. Otherwise she wasn’t sure what she would do.  
  
“Right here,” Bob acknowledged, producing it from his inventory pack. The bottle’s cap was still firmly in place, and the bottle was still half-full.  
  
Starwell gave a little nod. Then she slumped down against the ground, resting her furry chin on her forepaws.  
  
Thankfully Mike was, for once, not being overly annoying. He was playing a harmonica tune and toasting a marshmallow over a nearby campfire. How he’d managed to build a campfire so quickly was hard to say. The even bigger mystery was where he got the marshmallow.  
  
Matrix seemed both tired and hungry. Werewolves were largely animalistic in their instinctual need for food. After a while though they could become weary, especially if they weren’t hunting or eating.  
  
Starwell eyed him for a moment, as if to make sure he wasn’t going to attack anyone. Then her eyelids drifted shut.  
  
Gizmo began to chirp and beep in sync with the harmonica Mike was playing on his screen. It became evident that Keytools were not designed to carry a tune. Perhaps it was doing it to annoy Glitch again.  
  
Matrix paced, as everyone slept. There was a dull throb in his stomach.  
  
Starwell slept for a little while, lost in a dream. This time it was a strange dream, one where her wolfish instincts knawed at her subconscious.  
  
She saw herself running in a field; her paws twitched in her sleep as she chased after a deer. Only as she got closer, she realized it was a strange-looking deer, a buck with blue fur and silver antlers.  
  
Her wolfish instincts took over. Her fangs snapped at one of the hindquarters until she grabbed it firmly; she caused the deer to stumble.  
  
The buck's eyes flew wide, and she sank her teeth into his neck, tasting a delicious mixture of game-blood and energy--  
  
What was she doing?!  
  
"BOB!" Her head snapped up as her eyes flew wide. She suddenly found herself wide awake as she panted, her heart pounding.  
  
That startled everyone.  
  
"Wha- What!? What happened?!" Bob jumped up.  
  
It also startled Matrix, who began to snarl at those closest to him...  
  
Starwell swallowed, and panted a few times. A couple of beeps from Gizmo brought her mind back to the present, reminding her of who and where she was.  
  
She let out a slow sigh of relief. "Sorry," she barked. "Bad dream."  
  
Bob let out a breath and relaxed, "That's alright."  
  
Matrix was still snarling.  
  
"Matrix? Matrix, what's wrong?"  
  
Starwell glanced warily at the other wolf. She tried to say something, anything, but it only came out as a growl. Her throat was starting to hurt.  
  
There was another noise, something almost like a growl... no, not quite. It was just Mike snoring. She shot the TV an irritated glance.  
  
"Hey, hey, Matrix? Come on now, Its just me." Bob slowly walked towards the werewolf, "Matrix-"  
  
The animal pounced, and sank its teeth into Bob's shoulder.  
  
Starwell barked, momentarily startled.  
  
Then she let out a louder bark, attempting to say a name. It didn't quite come out. Then she leaped onto Matrix and bit down on his ear, trying to get his attention away from the Guardian.  
  
Starwell snarled, forgetting herself for a few seconds. A deep, feral instinct told her to fight back against the other wolf, for the potential prey if nothing else.  
  
But that wasn't prey. It was Bob, a friend.  
  
She sat down on her haunches, flattening her ears against her skull. She felt a pang of guilt when she noticed Matrix's ear. But still.... what else could she have done?  
  
Matrix backed off and whirled on Starwell, snarling, teeth bared. A small piece of his ear was missing. She whimpered. Then her head snapped toward Bob. She tried to speak, to ask if he was okay--only a few fractured syllables came out.  
  
Bob, sweaty and in pain, smiled. "I'm okay, I'm okay."  
  
The she-wolf’s ears pressed flat against her skull, her eyes widening in horror as realization dawned on her. Did this mean that Bob was infected now, too?  
  
A trickle of game-blood collected on the outside of Matrix’s ear; a couple of small droplets dripped onto his dark fur. His ear twitched with discomfort.  
  
Bob sat up and examined his shoulder. Large tooth marks were present in the armor and a portion of it had been torn. He saw the wolves peering at him out of the corner of his eye; he cast them a re-assuring glance.  
  
It took Matrix a moment to clear his limited processor. He was trying to remember… something. It took him a moment just to remember what he was trying to remember. When it suddenly dawned on him what he’d done, his ears pressed flat against his skull and he whimpered.  
  
Starwell seemed reassured that the bigger wolf wasn’t about to make another aggressive move. She lowered herself onto her haunches, releasing a soft whimper of her own.  
  
The Guardian was checking something with his Keytool. Glitch beeped and whirred, and Bob was nodding. His eyes were thoughtful.  
  
“What?” Starwell managed to bark.  
  
Gizmo responded to her instead. [Glitchy confirmed that if we defeat the ghost before three days pass, Bob won’t need the cure.]  
  
Well, that was good news at least. It meant that, as long as they moved swiftly enough, they wouldn’t have to worry about Bob after all. They would only have to worry about her and Matrix.  
  
Matrix barked weakly. It seemed like an apologetic sound, directed at Bob.  
  
“Look, don’t worry about it,” Bob told him reasonably. “We’ll find the Spirit of Ages, and then we’ll find a way to end this game.”  
  
A loud noise cut into the conversation. Starwell turned her head to see that Mike was still sound asleep, snoring. His mouth--or speaker, or whatever--moved in rhythm with the noises he made. On his screen there was an image of a saw slowly moving back and forth across a log.  
  
Bob rolled his eyes and straightened, brushing himself off. “Well,” he said, “is everybody ready to go?” Indeed, the sky was just beginning to brighten with faint colors, indicating pre-dawn.


	21. Chapter 21

A moment passed, and the sky brightened as the sun began to poke through the trees. That was when the werewolf curse began to revert for the daytime cycle.  
  
Starwell gasped and Matrix grunted. Somehow though, turning back into regular sprite-forms was less painful or nerve-wracking than transforming into wolves.  
  
The girl had no idea how it felt for Matrix, but for her it felt a little like waking from a weird dream to find yourself in your normal body, instead of weighing fifty pounds extra or having an anatomy that she wasn’t used to. Once again finding herself in her underwear, she fell to her hands and knees with a sharp gasp.  
  
Matrix caught himself as well; he was also in his game default underclothes. Bob gave each of them a moment to regain their composure, then the Guardian held out a hand to Matrix. The Renegade took it and allowed himself to be pulled up.  
  
“Bob…” Matrix eyed the tooth marks on the Guardian’s shoulder. “I bit you, didn’t I?”   
  
“Yeah, but don’t worry about it,” Bob told him. “We’re almost where we need to be.”  
  
“Gizmo told me,” Starwell breathed, still not quite herself yet, “that so long as we get to the ghost and kill it quickly… you won’t be affected permanently.”  
  
Bob nodded.  
  
“Then we should get going,” Matrix grunted. “Come on, Pup. On your feet.” He extended a hand to Starwell.  
  
The girl shot Gizmo an irritated glance as the Keytool somehow managed to mimic an “arf, arf” with beeps and chirps combined. She then grasped Matrix’s hand and allowed herself to be pulled up.  
  
“Mike,” Bob raised his voice to try and wake the TV. “Let’s go.”  
  
There was no response, except for another deafening snore.  
  
“MIKE!” Matrix bellowed.  
  
The TV screamed and jumped to his feet, his bitmap nearly white. “Great Norton’s Ghost, don’t do that!” He clutched at whatever might be the approximate area of his heart--whatever the TV-sprite equivalent was.  
  
Starwell sighed. “I want some armor,” she complained. “Or at least some clothes. Shoes if nothing else.”  
  
“Maybe we’ll find something on the way,” Bob said. “Ready to go?”  
  
It wasn’t long before they continued their trek through the forest. Mike sang to himself as he followed Bob; the Guardian took a slight lead ahead of everyone else. Starwell grunted and whimpered softly as her bare feet protested at walking across the rough terrain; Matrix ended up letting her ride piggy-back temporarily on his back again.  
  
“Matrix?” Starwell murmured softly to her friend as she hugged her arms around him for support.  
  
“Yeah?” The Renegade didn’t glance at her or pause his stride, but she had his attention.  
  
“What’s gonna happen?” Starwell swallowed. “I mean, uh… you know, when we beat the ghost.”  
  
“We’ll deal with that then, kid.”  
  
“But there’s only enough cure for one. That’s what Bob said.”  
  
Matrix seemed thoughtful. “We’ll talk about this later,” he told her indicatively.  
  
Anything Starwell might have said in response was cut off when Bob suddenly announced, “We’re here!”  
  
Indeed, they found themselves entering a large graveyard. It wasn’t the nice kind of graveyards Starwell had seen back in her own world, where the headstones are in good condition and clearly visible. This place appeared ancient with worn headstones, some of them partially broken, with barely discernable markings carved in an ancient, foreign script.  
  
A light fog rolled along the ground; it was only ankle-high and it chilled their feet as they stepped toward the first row of gravestones. Coffin-shaped openings were open here and there throughout the graveyard, possible traps for a misstep to fall into--or a way for things to come out of, perhaps.  
  
Bob motioned for the others to wait and he checked with Glitch. “Watch out for the openings in the ground,” he warned. “According to Glitch, those are spots where game sprites can spawn from once the battle starts.”  
  
“That means encountering the ghost is a scripted event,” Matrix mused aloud.  
  
The Guardian nodded. “But there’s a problem.”  
  
“What?” Matrix turned to look at his friend. He felt Starwell’s arms tighten nervously around him.  
  
“Some scripted events can only be initiated through direct User interaction, or the presence of the User,” Bob explained.  
  
Starwell suddenly felt all eyes settle on her. She swallowed nervously.  
  
“Well, looks like it’s all up to you, little lady,” Mike said in a cowboy accent.  
  
“Uh, what am I supposed to do?” Starwell asked. If she had been thinking clearly, she would have remembered the basic things she used to do outside the Net when playing games. Right now, she felt out of her element and more confused than anything.  
  
“It looks like your format is gonna help us get to the ghost, Starwell.” Matrix squatted near the ground. “You need to go on ahead. Don’t worry, we’ll be right behind you.”  
  
“Yeah… okay.” Starwell tentatively climbed off of him, shivering as her bare feet touched the ground. How could Matrix stand being barefoot in this area? The cold fog seemed to penetrate her skin to the bone and the ground felt squishy and damp.   
  
“Be careful, Starwell,” Bob told her.   
  
“Yeah…” Starwell sucked in a deep breath, and took point.  
  
They proceeded slowly through the graveyard, walking carefully as they went. True to their word, Matrix and Bob followed close behind, with Mike bringing up the rear. Bob had to remind the TV at least twice to stay quiet and Matrix’s keen reflexes prevented Starwell from falling into one of the open graves. The main problem was that the further the went, the thicker the fog became.  
  
By the time they reached the heart of the graveyard the fog had risen and completely surrounded them. It was almost thick enough to cut with a butter knife.  
  
“According to Glitch,” Bob whispered, “increased fog is a sign that this event has been triggered. We just need to go a little further--”  
  
Starwell had taken another step forward. That was when all hell broke loose.  
  
An ear-splitting shriek rippled through the area, causing Starwell’s energy pulse to skip a beat or two. A bright flash of light came from a random direction, and then a portion of the fog cleared in an approximate battle-field area. The thick mist remained in the surrounding area like an intangible barrier.  
  
The spirit became visible, hovering above the ground in all its fury. It barely had a shape or form. Visually, it would have been indiscernible from the surrounding fog if it wasn’t for the white aura that illuminated its form, or the bright white eyes.  
  
“This is it!” Bob unsheathed his sword and stood ready.   
  
Matrix tensed, readying his fists.  
  
“I don’t have any weapons!” Starwell exclaimed. “Or armor!” she gasped as an afterthought, attempting to cover her exposed bitmap with her long, skinny arms. It did little good.  
  
The Spirit of Ages advanced angrily. A bolt of energy expanded from its long, outstretched arm and impacted Mike. The TV yowled as a small portion of his circuitry fried, and he was sent flying into the fog.   
  
The ghost then redirected its attention on the three sprites.  
  
“Not today, game sprite,” Matrix growled, his gold eye already glowing red.  
  
“Matrix, wait--!” Bob began.  
  
That was when a silver energy wave erupted from the spirit, engulfing the trio. It was an effect that the ghost had on those infected by the curse; it could induce them to transform at will, as long as they were in close proximity.  
  
Starwell screamed in pain and clutched at her head as the familiar agony threatened to overtake her. She was vaguely aware of her companions grunting in discomfort as well, though she didn’t have time to notice. Her body pulsed and bulged as muscles grew and her form became larger, rippling with fur as a snout grew from her head and a tail sprouted stem-like from her rear.  
  
The transformation had come so suddenly and unexpectedly that it took her a moment to recover. She felt mildly dazed, though a low growl behind her made her snap back to awareness.  
  
Matrix’s altered form was all-too-familiar now, a larger and more muscular wolf with dark fur and a greenish tinge. Beside him stood another wolf, one that was sort of a creamy blue in color with a silver tail, ears and underbelly.  
  
Starwell blinked, staring at them. “Bob?” she managed. Damn it, she’d thought she wouldn’t have to deal with this again until nightfall!  
  
Unfortunately, the two other wolves seemed more feral than anything else. Their animalistic instincts had taken over, courtesy of the spirit; it had full control over them now, in this form.  
  
Fortunately for Starwell… it could not take control of a User, regardless of the fact that she shared the curse. She still had her mind and her free will.  
  
But she quickly realized that she had other problems.  
  
The spirit cackled, sounding more like a beast on a quest for vengeance than a shrieking ghost. Bob crouched, and Matrix prepared to pounce.  
  
Starwell’s eyes went wide. “Oh boy,” she squeaked, just as the larger Matrix-wolf leaped at her. “GIZMO, DO SOMETHING!” she yelled as she hit the dirt. Cold earth smacked against her cheek as she hit the ground face-first, just as Gizmo clicked and altered shape into a large pole.  
  
Matrix slammed against the pole full-force, and slid to the ground, momentarily dazed.  
  
Starwell picked herself up and spat out a bit of gravel. She yipped as Bob pounced on her, knocking her on her side; he bared his teeth and snared in her face. She hissed and reacted instinctively, chomping down on his leg with just enough force to distract him; then she maneuvered her body enough to kick him aside.  
  
“Bob!” she barked. “Stop! Don’t… want… to hurt you!”  
  
Something in Bob’s eyes flickered momentarily. A spark of recognition, perhaps? A momentary memory? However, whatever it was didn’t last long; he lunged at her again, forcing her to duck and twist out of his way. Her ears pressed flat against her skull and she whimpered when she realized Matrix was recovering.  
  
“You… bully!” She managed in the direction of the ghost. “Gizmo, elect--” Her voice caught in her throat, sounding more like a strangled growl than a command. She pointed a paw in the direction of the ghost, however; Gizmo got the idea.  
  
A powerful electrical blast erupted from Gizmo, engulfing the spirit’s upper body. In the meantime, Starwell kept moving to maintain her distance from Bob and Matrix, managing to make herself a difficult target.  
  
Then the spirit made its next move, as only a Game Boss could. It released a shriek, and the two other werewolves stopped. The ghost then vanished into the ground as Bob and Matrix took their cue to disappear into the fog, leaving Starwell to glance about in puzzlement.  
  
Growls filled the air, and game sprites began to emerge from the ground. Skeletal forms came up through the ground, small spirits floated up out of the open graves. The Boss had temporarily backed off. Its minions became the first wave of game sprites. No doubt the Spirit of Ages hoped they would finish her off.  
  
Starwell’s lips peeled away from her teeth as she snarled in frustration. A quick glance about told her there were about a dozen of them, and they were all coming at once.  
  
A ferocious huff escaped her throat. “Bring it on,” she growled, and allowed the animalistic side of her coding to take over.  
  
Skeletal bitmaps crunched and shattered in a frenzy, bits and pieces flew about. The small ghosts flew about her menacing, striking a few tentative blows with their spiritual attacks; it ebbed away a portion of her health and willpower, but they were vulnerable to energy attacks. A few commands to Gizmo and they dissipated into nothingness like mist fading in a breeze.  
  
A loud roar announced the return of the Boss, the Spirit of Legends; it was back and more furious than ever. Starwell’s jaw cracked as she whirled and howled, getting ready for an attack.  
  
Only this caused her to lose focus on her general surroundings. A heavy weight thumped against her out of nowhere and pinned her down; Matrix had returned as well and pounced. He snarled, and he bit down on her ear for good measure.  
  
Starwell yelped, then cuffed him. He let go and snarled in her face. Well, she thought as she tried to squirm out from under him, I guess that was sorta fair… an ear for an ear. Gizmo was hissing on her arm; Bob was circling them like a stalking predator, droplets of salvia oozing from the corners of his mouth. If she managed to get away from Matrix, she’d have to deal with him next.  
  
Or not.  
  
“Gizmo!” she barked. “Contain Bob!” Then she kicked upward with all her might, her claws slashing across Matrix’s underbelly. It did very little harm due to his thick, furry pelt and heavy muscles, but it did make him yip.  
  
Bob suddenly found himself confined by the same electrical rope that had helped him defeat the Beast of Ages in the first place. He writhed and struggled on the ground as the glowing wire held him; it stretched just enough to allow some leeway. A light jolt from the altered Keytool then stunned the Guardian, discouraging any further resistance for the moment.  
  
Meanwhile, Starwell had her hands--or mouth--full. Matrix was still on top of her, his heavy bulk weighing her down, but she’d managed to twist just enough to grip the scruff of his neck between her teeth. She couldn’t maneuver very well, but at least it limited his head mobility; he couldn’t exactly bite her.  
  
The Boss hovered just overheard, its mere presence taunting. It hissed, and it seemed to command Matrix to redouble his efforts.  
  
The User-girl snarled, then risked letting go of the bigger wolf. “Matrix!” she grunted. “Stop, please!” It took some effort to speak, not to mention concentration, but she managed. “Matrix! It me! Starwell!”  
  
The dark-colored wolf actually seemed to hesitate. Starwell? That name rang familiar somewhere deep in his processor. But why?  
  
The ghost shrieked again; Matrix’s mind became more clouded and his eyes glazed over momentarily.  
  
“MATRIX!” Starwell exploded. “Please, STOP!”  
  
A feral snarl escaped the Renegade’s mouth. Hot breath smelled rancid against her face as the front side of his fangs knocked against her forehead. Nevertheless, he seemed to battling internally; his muscles stiffened and the tendons in his throat stuck out like steel rods.  
  
Gizmo began squeaking even as it maintained its current rope-form. [Glitch, you’ve got to help somehow. Move your lumbering Guardian, you’ve done it before!]  
  
Glitch seemed to consider. Indeed, the situation seemed dire, so… [Disengage,] the standard Keytool ordered the unorthodox one.  
  
After a moment’s hesitation, the electrical rope gave one final, sharp jolt to make sure the altered Guardian’s regenerative state didn’t enable him to regain consciousness, then Gizmo untangled itself from the furry mass.  
  
Glitch clicked and whirred, and suddenly the altered form of Bob rose off the ground, eyes still closed. The Keytool was in control.  
  
In the meantime, Matrix had struggled briefly against the code that controlled him. His inner conflict had distracted him enough so that Starwell could slip out from underneath him unscathed, but by the time she was back on her feet the spirit had already taken control again.  
  
The dark-furred werewolf howled, ready to lunge as Gizmo returned to Starwell’s forearm. The Renegade was just about to pounce when a blur of blue and silver tackled him and pinned him to the ground. It was Bob, being piloted by Glitch.  
  
Starwell backed off and wasted no time turning back to the spirit as the sprites battled. She had to beat this thing, fast.  
  
“Gizmo, stats,” she ordered in a gargling bark.   
  
[Energy reserves; fully recharged,] Gizmo reported to her after scanning the Boss. [Health levels, approximately seventy-four percent.]  
  
Starwell blew out a breath. She knew how this type of scenario worked, now that she remembered some of the games she had played. Some of the tough Boss Battles in games were such that you knocked the powerful being’s health down a portion, then it would withdraw and you’d have to deal with a wave of lesser game sprites. Once that was done, the Boss returned for another round and the cycle would begin again until you reached the final and beat the thing.  
  
She tried to ignore Matrix and Bob behind her as she focused her attention on the Boss; she could only hope they wouldn’t delete each other.  
  
“Gizmo,” she snapped, “power attack, full force!”  
  
The Keytool sent another powerful blast into the spirit’s being, knocking its health levels down to fifty-nine percent. It shrieked, then it raised its arms and began to glow as it channeled its energy for a forceful attack of its own.  
  
Starwell let out a strangled yelp as a lightening-like blast struck her in the side, sending her sprawling against the ground. Her muscles tensed and throbbed as the blackened area of her furred pelt smoldered; a portion of her bitmap had been scorched.   
  
It hurt. A lot.  
  
The Spirit of Ages cackled manically, a cruel, taunting sound that was worse than nails on a chalkboard. It set Starwell’s teeth on edge, causing her to shudder in spite of herself. The ghost gave her a look, then once again withdrew into the fog.  
  
Another wave of game sprites came up out of the ground. This time they were partially decomposed skeletal corpses, more zombie-like than anything. Small bits of flesh fell from their bones as they moved.  
  
Starwell glanced about. Matrix had apparently disengaged and run into the fog again, at the command of the spirit; Bob’s form moved nearer to her, his eyes still shut. Apparently Glitch was still running the show there.  
  
The She-wolf glanced at the unconscious Guardian and his Keytool, then eyed Gizmo. Her Keytool chirped positively, and then she picked herself up and moved into a defensive stance. “Bring it on,” she snarled in the direction of the game sprites. She allowed her instinctual hunger to take more of a forefront. By the time she was fully engaged in battle, she had willfully given herself over to the werewolf code, becoming feral.  
  
Unlike Matrix and Bob, a full User simply had the option of ignoring that mode/code unless choosing to let it take over willingly. It simply took a little initiation from Starwell to kick in, perhaps even with a little aid from Gizmo. The User-Keytool had access to in-game User commands, after all.  
  
This time there were sixteen game sprites in this wave, thankfully none of them were ghosts. Once again bones crunched and shattered, accompanied by chunks of flesh tearing and dropping all over the battle area. Starwell didn’t even realize that she was swallowing some of the mouthfuls she bit off of game sprites until the sharp pain of a bone splinter caught in her throat. She ignored it and continued her feral frenzy in the battle.  
  
Soon there were only three left. Glitch used a thrust of Bob’s head to knock one of them into the fog; it could be seen breaking apart just before it vanished into the thick mist.  
  
Unfortunately, that was when one of the other sprites grabbed Bob’s tail from behind and yanked. If the Guardian hadn’t been off-balance at that moment, or so close to an open grave, perhaps he would have simply stumbled slightly. Instead, he ended up falling into the open ground, landing inside an open stone coffin that slammed shut on top of him.  
  
[GLITCH YOU KLUTZ!] Gizmo shrieked as Starwell ripped a game sprite in half with her claws. A firm kick of her hindquarters knocked the final sprite into a large gravestone, causing it to shatter as pieces of rotten flesh flew in every direction.  
  
Starwell then slumped onto the ground, shivering a little against the chilly soil. Part of her wondered if Bob was okay, but she couldn’t worry about that now. The Boss would be returning soon… with Matrix under its control.  
  
She did permit herself to rub her throat and gag, though. The flesh on those game sprites had smelled rancid; how could she stand swallowing it, even in full feral mode? She made a face and gave a mental command to disable that mode, for now. It felt so strange being able to give out some commands to her own form, as if she was piloting a self-aware User avatar while physically in the game.  
  
Unless maybe she was a self-aware User-avatar in a manner of speaking. Game coding, and perhaps Gizmo, probably assisted with that.  
  
The Spirit of Ages reappeared almost too quickly above her head, zipping out of the fog so quickly it appeared to teleport over her. She snarled and readied her Keytool, only to be knocked flat against the ground again.  
  
“Matrix!” she grunted, more surprised and indignant than anything. “ARGH!” she yowled as his sharp teeth sank into her collar bone area. She kicked upward with her hindquarters, making sure he felt her claws just enough to be distracted.  
  
His teeth released her as his mouth opened in a howl of pain. On impulse, she then made a move based on something she had seen once on National Geographic; she chomped down on the end of his snout, particularly over his nose. She tasted werewolf game blood; it burned against her tongue like acid, but she held on. Obviously the game tried to discourage werewolves from attacking or feeding upon each other.  
  
Matrix whined and growled, attempting to thrust free; Starwell held on. He cuffed her with clawed forepaws. Her thick pelt took the brunt of it, but light scratches formed that drew blood.  
  
Starwell eased her fangs just enough to try and speak. “G-Giz-mo!” she croaked, but didn’t get a chance to say any more. Matrix became free of her grip and he cuffed her across the face, then bit down on her throat.  
  
At least, he started to.  
  
Gizmo clicked and whirred, then apparently it decided to borrow a trick from Glitch, sort of. It continued to whir as it interfaced with Matrix’s mechanical eye; it began to glow red. A small exchange of code commenced, just a bit, in silence as Gizmo accessed a portion of Matrix’s processor and modified a little of the game coding that permitted the Boss to control him.  
  
A moment passed. Matrix’s jaw relaxed and he blinked, then he took a step back as if in a daze. On the ground, Starwell gasped sharply and rubbed at her abused throat.  
  
The Spirit of Ages was not happy. It shrieked in displeasure as it realized it could no longer use either of its new minions.  
  
Starwell coughed as she got to her feet, still rubbing her throat. Come on, she told herself. Get it together. In a way, she was almost grateful to be a werewolf at the moment. The odd new coding that the game had formatted into her form had given her instincts. It made her more impulsive, but the benefit was that she thought less about what was doing; she simply acted. Perhaps that was a plus.  
  
Her entire body seemed to throb in pain due to the abuse she’d suffered during this entire battle, but her muscles primed as she steeled herself, knowing there was more to come. She looked the Spirit directly in the eye and snarled her challenge.


	22. Chapter 22

Matrix shook his head as if to clear the fuzz out of his processor. Where was he? What had he been doing? He couldn’t remember. The only thing he could think of was a strange sense of urgency… he needed to do something. But what?  
  
He looked at a nearby werewolf, one that was growling at a spirit-form that hovered above her. He found himself growling at the spirit. He couldn’t remember what it was, but something told him that he needed to be wary of it.  
  
Starwell made a bold dash toward the spirit, leaping toward it with her fangs bared and her claws splayed almost cat-like. However, she realized too late that physical force was not only ineffective; it was ill-advised. She passed right through the Boss, and it absorbed some of her energy as she did.  
  
Her form skidded and thumped along the ground until a large gravestone stopped her tumble. She then lay still, wheezing and huffing as her tender muscles throbbed and her energy levels dropped painfully.  
  
Matrix snapped out of his mental fog and focused his attention on the spirit. Saliva dribbled from the corners of his mouth as he whirled toward the ghost. A fierce howl escaped his throat as he ran toward the ghost, preparing to pounce--  
  
\--And then he was struck by an energy bolt from the spirit’s fingertips, which impacted him between his forelegs. He yelped in agony as a brutal scorch mark appeared on his fur, leaving the flesh beneath his pelt burned and tender.   
  
He snarled and threw his head back, then cut loose with an ear-piercing howl of his own. This time it wasn’t merely noise, it was a Feat that he hadn’t used yet. His altered coding enabled him access to features that he hadn’t used up until this point.  
  
The Feat seemed to stun the Spirit for a moment, but only somewhat. It had a strong willpower and was mostly immune to such attacks. It shrieked and raised its hands above its head, then channeled more of its energy into a new power attack. A powerful fireball formed between its long digits, which it then flung at Matrix.  
  
Matrix’s self-preservation protocols had at least enough sense to fling himself out of the way before the fireball hit the ground. A small crater formed with its impact, blackening the ground. Matrix tumbled and then came to a stop; it took him a moment to remember what he was doing.  
  
Gizmo was shrieking nearby; the sound made Matrix growl softly. The sound was annoying, and it belonged to something equally annoying. He knew that much.  
  
The Keytool was trying to get the attention of Starwell, who was still stunned but starting to recover. Her eyelids flickered several times, and she shook her head. She tried to speak, but only a grunt came out.  
  
Gizmo continued to click and whir. [Starwell!] it exclaimed. [GET UP!]  
  
She blinked. Huh? She looked up. Oh… Her eyes flew wide. The Spirit of Ages was coming right toward her!  
  
Starwell struggled to stand; her legs faltered, causing her to stumble. She was almost completely drained of energy and her muscles felt like they were on fire.  
  
Her mouth opened as the Spirit drew closer, but she could not find her voice. The powerful game sprite glowed eerily, engulfed by its own aura, and then shot white hot energy into her form.  
  
After that, Starwell knew nothing.  
  
Matrix snarled. He saw another beast go down in a furry heap, feeling a strong urgency to…   
  
To what? He had to remember something…  
  
The Spirit of Ages shrieked again, turning its attention on Matrix. That was when he remembered something; that thing was something that needed to be defeated.   
  
He barked menacingly as he feigned to the right, then zipped to the left in order to dodge an energy blast that the Boss flung at him. He bolted forward, just underneath the Spirit as he snapped his teeth at the ghost’s feet. His fangs only encountered air as he tried to chomp down on an intangible presence; contact with the spirit’s form only produced a mild draining effect.  
  
He whirled around, finding himself behind the spirit. He cut loose with a loud howl, saliva as well as venom dripping from his fangs as he glared menacingly at the Boss.  
  
It needed to be taken down. But how? He wanted nothing more than to go at it again and again, to rip into it tooth and claw. But that didn’t work on this nonphysical entity.  
  
It was hard to think, especially since he had to keep moving about to dodge attacks. He growled and gripped a chunk of broken gravestone in his mouth. With a fling of his head, he tossed it at the spirit.  
  
The Boss dodged it easily, perhaps out of reflex; since it was immune to physical attacks, the gravestone probably wouldn’t have hurt it any.  
  
Or would it?  
  
Matrix narrowed his eyes. Were there items around the graveyard that might effect the Spirit? This place was heavily influenced by the supernatural within the game reality, apparently.  
  
The Spirit of Ages advanced toward him; the air around it cackled with electricity as it prepared another attack.  
  
The Renegade thought quickly, as much as his limited processing capability permitted him while under the influence of the animalistic game coding. He looked in Starwell’s direction, then glanced at her arm.  
  
If only he had Gun…  
  
Then an idea came to him. Would it work?  
  
He bounded toward the unconscious female sprite, narrowly missing another attack directed at him. He then snatched the Keytool from her arm, clenching it gently between his teeth.  
  
Gizmo beeped and hissed indignantly. It didn’t like being taken away from its User-sprite in the slightest, and it wailed comically when Matrix gave his head a toss and flung the Keytool at the Spirit.  
  
When Gizmo’s form entered the center of the ghost, it remained still and hovered there. The Spirit remained still, looking at its midsection in confusion. A slight energy-drain took effect on the Keytool; that caused it to react.  
  
Gizmo cut loose with an electrical shriek that cackled and spread throughout the Spirit’s form. The ghost screamed as its health levels dropped dangerously, then its form began to flicker.  
  
Then there was a white-hot flash of light as the Boss’s form became blindingly illuminated, almost as bright as staring into the sun. With a flicker and the sound of electricity short-circuiting the being’s aura, it exploded outward and winked out of existence.  
  
Gizmo clattered to the ground, somewhat dazed for a moment. It recovered quickly, and returned to Starwell’s limp form where it reattached itself to her arm. It chirped at her softly, [Starwell, are you okay?] It nuzzled against her, but there was no response.   
  
The eerie fog began to dissipate and the sun shone through brilliantly. After a few moments, it appeared to be a perfectly normal, sunny day with a clear blue sky. A pair of falcons circled overhead and flew off.  
  
It looked for all the world like nothing had ever happened.  
  
Matrix blinked. He found himself lying flat on his back where he’d apparently fallen. He was back in his sprite-form, wearing nothing but his game default briefs.  
  
He felt sore all over. It took him a few nanos to sort his processor out.  
  
Then he recalled what he had been doing. “Bob? Starwell?” With a grunt he pushed himself to his hands and knees. He gritted his teeth, then got to his feet.  
  
Starwell had returned to her normal form, her exposed skin glowing and dimming in sync with her energy pulse. She appeared to be temporarily offline.   
  
Matrix checked her over. She would no doubt be hurting when she awoke, but at least she was still functioning. “Looks like you’ll be okay, Pup,” he said softly. “But where’s Bob?”  
  
The Guardian appeared to be nowhere in sight.  
  
A beeping sound caught the Renegade’s attention. He and Gizmo didn’t exactly see eye to eye, but at least the strange Keytool knew when to be helpful. It was indicating a direction for Matrix’s benefit.  
  
Matrix eyed the Keytool for a nano, then walked toward one of the open graves. He had to move a couple of fallen corpses to peer inside, but the brilliant beam of sunlight illuminated a coffin below. It looked different from the rest of the cemetery, as if it were almost new. That indicated the coffin was something different. A trap, perhaps.  
  
That was when he heard faint, muffled sounds below. It sounded like someone was banging on the inside.  
  
“Bob?” Matrix crouched next to the opening in the ground, staring down. “Bob, is that you?” He had to be cautious, in case it was actually a trapped game sprite or some other hidden threat.  
  
The muffled voice cried out a command, and the coffin lid flung open. Dust flew, causing Matrix to cough. His eyelids flickered as the flinging particles stung his eyes briefly.  
  
Down in the hole, Bob coughed and grunted as he sat up in the coffin. Glitch returned to its default shape on his arm, having finished aiding him with a hammer-like feature. “Whoa,” the Guardian remarked as the dust settled, “here I thought coffins were for vampires, not werewolves.”  
  
Matrix snorted from above. “If we were vampires,” he quipped, “we wouldn’t be out until sunset.” He reached down and extended his hand to Bob.  
  
Bob grasped it and accepted his friend’s assistance as the Renegade helped him out.   
  
“You okay?” Matrix asked, tired.  
  
“Yeah.” Bob brushed himself off and checked himself over. “You alright?”  
  
“Yeah, mostly.” Matrix tilted his head to one side. “So, are you cured?”  
  
“I think so… Glitch, stats.” Bob checked the readouts. “Looks like the defeat of the Spirit of Ages prevented my recompiling and canceled the Lycanthropy infection.” He let out a breath. “That just leaves you and--” His eyes snapped up. “Where is Starwell?”  
  
“Over there.” Matrix pointed calmly toward her, where she lay unconscious on the ground.  
  
The two sprites approached her. She was still out cold. “I’ve got some healing herbs in my inventory pack,” Bob said as he squatted next to her.  
  
“Where’d you get those?” Matrix asked tiredly.  
  
“I found a lot of things when I was moving about in the woods, trying to find the ingredients for the werewolf cure,” Bob replied as he took a couple of items from his pack. “You never know when some things might come in handy.”  
  
“I guess. Tends to make me feel like a pack rat, though.” Matrix folded his arms.  
  
Bob gently lifted Starwell’s head off the ground, cradling it in his hand. He then used his free hand to slip an herb leaf into her mouth, where it seemed to immediately dissolve.  
  
Starwell inhaled sharply and coughed. The obvious wounds and burns seemed to fade, replaced by some bruising and scarring tissue. Her eyelids fluttered open.  
  
“You okay?” Bob asked the girl.  
  
“Uh… I think so.” Starwell tried to sit up; Bob assisted her, keeping a hand on her shoulder. “What happened? Where am I?”  
  
“We’re still in the game,” Bob answered. “The Spirit of Ages has been destroyed.”  
  
“Oh… yeah.” Starwell closed her eyes briefly. She looked as though she wanted to lie down and return to whatever nightmare she had been in a nano ago instead of dealing with the real one. Instead she sighed, and nodded. “Okay. So what’s next?”  
  
“The cure,” Matrix said. He was sitting nearby atop a large, broken gravestone, though he remained alert and attentive.  
  
Bob got the bottle out of his pack and eyed it forlornly. “Well, I’m already cured,” he said, “but there’s still only enough for one.” He frowned, once again feeling as though he’d let his friends down.  
  
“Yeah… that’s a problem.” Starwell shakily got to her feet, and shrugged away from Bob’s touch. “So… what’re we gonna do?” She took a couple steps forward and leaned against an old, dried out and withered tree that stuck out from the ground. It had some kind of odd symbols carved into it, similar to the ancient script in some of the gravestones.  
  
"You take it, Starwell." Matrix stood, a serious expression on his face.  
  
Starwell blinked, processing his words. Then she scowled stubbornly, clenching her fists at her sides. Of course she wanted it. Who wouldn't want to be cured of this stupid infection?  
  
Still... she was starting to entertain an idea a little more. Once again she felt that Bob and Matrix deserved to go home, no matter what happened to her. After all... her chances of going home seemed... slim. She eyed Gizmo thoughtfully for a moment. As if reading her mind, it gave a quiet chirp. [Starwell, let’s leave this game.]  
  
She ignored the Keytool. "No, you take it," she told Matrix in a serious tone. "Besides," the side of her mouth quirked upward, "you need it more than I do. Do you have any idea how ugly you are right now?" She supposed that she could find another cure or something… eventually. Or maybe she could learn to live in the game. If she was stuck in the Net, she’d have to get used to existing in this strange new reality anyway.  
  
Matrix shook his head, but he couldn't help but feel amused. "You need to get home, Starwell." He walked towards her, so that Bob didn't see them. He leaned in close... To her ear. He placed something in her hands. It was round. "That is my Icon," he whispered, "When you get out of the game, tap it twice."  
  
He took a step back, "The cure is yours."  
  
"Enzo!" Bob said.  
  
Matrix simply crossed his arms.  
  
Starwell frowned as she examined the icon. She didn't understand, although Gizmo seemed to somehow. It clicked and whirred, urging her to take the cure.  
  
"Okay," she murmured. She wasn't sure what else to do with the Icon, so she encircled her fingers around it, securing it to her palm.  
  
"You sure this is going to work?" she asked.   
  
"I'm pretty sure," said Bob. He gave Matrix a look. "I'm sorry Enzo."  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it."  
  
Starwell still didn't fully comprehend what was going on, although Gizmo seemed to be telling her that Matrix would be coming with them; she just had to take care of his Icon until they were out of the game.  
  
Gizmo once again chirped at her, urging her to take the cure.  
  
She gingerly reached out and took the bottle from Bob. She stared at it for a moment, then she carefully tipped her head back and drank the contents.  
  
She gasped and clutched her throat with both hands, dropping the bottle. She coughed and spluttered, oblivious to the sound of the bottle breaking at her feet. For a moment pain surged through her body, followed by a tingling sensation. The glow of her skin brightened for a nano, and then dimmed. Her skin went back to its normal shade of light olive.  
  
"Are you alright?" Bob asked. Matrix just stood.  
  
"Yeah," Starwell coughed, rubbing her throat. The tingling sensation died down, although her throat felt a little raw. "I'm okay."  
  
On her arm, Gizmo beeped and then accessed the Main Menu function within the Game. Once again it displayed the list of options that any User had access too... and Gizmo automatically high-lighted "Quit Game" on the holographic menu above it.  
  
Starwell stared at it for a long moment. She looked at Bob, and then she looked at Matrix.  
  
"I'm going to quit the game," she gulped. "And see what happens." Her eyes locked briefly with Matrix's.  
  
"You can do that? Quit Games?" Bob would have been shocked. Would have.  
  
"Do what you need to," said Matrix, "If that is what it really takes-"  
  
He was cut off when a slew of arrows flew. He was hit four times, the other just missed Starwell and Bob.  
  
Grave robbers.  
  
"Matrix!" Bob yelled.  
  
"Quit the Game!" Matrix shouted.  
  
"Gizmo, Quit Game!" Starwell screamed.


	23. Chapter 23

Everything seemed to freeze for just a split-nano. Bandits froze in place as their battle cries stopped suddenly, like sound caught in their throats. Arrows halted in mid-air, hovering in limbo. Everything hesitated in limbo like a Game that had been put on Pause….  
  
Or a Game that was in the process of ending.  
  
"GAME OVER. USER ALPHA STARWELL RESIGNS."  
  
The System Voice repeated itself once as their surroundings dissolved. Starwell kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut, fearing what might happen to her.  
  
"GAME OVER. USER ALPHA STARWELL RESIGNS."  
  
There was a flash of light so bright that she could see it even though her closed eyelids. Everything was then silent.  
  
She slowly opened her eyes. Her surroundings were completely different now; she was back in the place where she had first appeared in Mainframe, in the area near the docks. Bob stood nearby, and they both stood alone.  
  
"Wow," she said breathlessly. "It's over. It's really over." Gizmo beeped. Starwell was too disoriented and stunned by everything that had happened to pay attention to what the Keytool was trying to say to her.  
  
"Enzo..." Bob looked forlornly up into the sky. He glimpsed the Game Cube as it departed through the port, enabling the sky to turn blue once again.  
  
Starwell blinked as she glanced about. “Matrix?” she said, turning completely around. She frowned as she focused on Bob. “He’s not here,” she said.  
  
“No,” Bob said with a sad sigh. “He’s not.” The Guardian’s shoulders slumped and he hung his head.  
  
“Where is he?” the girl asked tentatively. Little did she know that she would actually grow to care about what happened to the big, brutish sprite. But after everything they’d been through…  
  
“He’s… stuck in the game,” Bob said. “Since his Lycanthropy wasn’t cured--”  
  
“You mean he stayed in the game?” Starwell exclaimed. “He’s trapped in there with no way out because of that infection?” She looked up at the sky, as if she wished she could reach up and pull the game cube back.   
  
Bob sighed. This was something he had experienced before in the past, but he never thought he’d go through it like this. He kicked himself mentally for not keeping a better grip on the cure. He wondered how he was going to explain this to AndrAIa, to Dot, and especially the younger Enzo…  
  
Gizmo beeped again, catching Starwell's attention. She glanced down at it, and it whirred at her. It seemed impatient about something, annoyed even.  
  
Then she snapped out of her fog and remembered. She glanced down at her chest, relieved to find that she was once again clothed in her original outfit. She gingerly touched the icon, taking it from her chest. It separated from her being and came loose in her hand.  
  
She let it rest in her palm for a moment, studying it. Then she tapped it with two fingers.  
  
There was a flash. Electricity shimmered with the icon, and formed something humanoid; Starwell let out a startled yelp as she took a step back from it.  
  
Bob watched. He knew this; he had seen something just like it before.  
  
Matrix stood in his very own form, his very one bitmap. He looked like a biker or a ruffian. There was no trace of any altered code, or even bruise marks. "Hey there, Starwell."  
  
The girl beamed and pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to suppress a delighted giggle. She didn't quite succeed; her relief refused to be contained. "Okay that was awesome," she said, feeling a little giddy in spite of herself. She momentarily forgot the hopelessness and despair she'd begun to feel inside the game; just seeing them all outside of the game and okay lifted her spirits at least a little.  
  
"We made it!" She grabbed Matrix in a brief hug.  
  
"Yeah, we did." Matrix and Bob gave a smile to one another.  
  
There was growling. It shook all of them. Then something pounced on Bob. A big red and yellow dog. Starwell's eyes widened with a gasp, unsure what to make of the sudden appearance of an animal.  
  
"Frisket?" Bob said. The dog growled briefly in his face, then glanced up at Matrix. It became evident to Starwell who the dog's master was.  
  
"I guess Frisket wants to say hi," Matrix remarked, folding his muscular arms across his chest. He appeared mildly amused.  
  
"Seems he found us alright," Bob said with a forced chuckle. The sharp, powerful teeth of the dog were enough to make anyone nervous.  
  
"Alright, Frisket, get off of Bob," Matrix ordered, and the dog complied. "Oh, yeah," he said, glancing at Starwell. "Frisket, this is Starwell. Starwell, Frisket."  
  
The dog came closer to Starwell, causing her to take a nervous step back. Bob got up and brushed himself off as Frisket sniffed the girl. The canine's ears stood straight up, as if he detected something that only he could smell. He didn't bark, he didn't even growl, he just looked... completely stunned. If it was possible for a dog to be speechless and shocked, that described Frisket right at the moment.  
  
"What is it, boy?" Matrix asked, with some concern. He’d never seen his dog react quite that way to a stranger before.  
  
Starwell cleared her throat, feeling uncomfortable. "Hey um, could you guys excuse me a moment?" she asked, already backing away. "I'm not gonna go far," she promised, "I just... want a moment alone with Gizmo, please."  
  
"Don't get lost, kid," said Matrix, then focused his attention on Frisket. He gave the dog a pat between the ears.  
  
Starwell murmured a brief thank-you and moved a few meters away. She was still close enough so that they could hear her if she yelled or called for them, but far enough away to be just out of sight. She ducked into an alley and sat down in a space between two dumpsters. "Come on, Gizmo," she whispered. "Please tell me you know something. Anything. Something that will help me get back to my Uncle's system."  
  
Gizmo whirred, and it seemed to examine its databanks. Then it flashed a brief piece of data that caused Starwell's eyes to light up. "Will that help?" she asked. Gizmo seemed to indicate it was possible. "Well all right!"' Starwell beamed.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Now where did that dog get to?" Mouse uttered out loud as she walked cautiously down a street. She had only barely arrived in the dock area, near the outer edge of the city and near the Energy Sea.  
  
Frisket had ran off, likely to find Matrix or Bob or whatever caused this. With her own curiosity, Mouse had ran after the dog. “Frisket, here boy,” she called out. She gave a shrill whistle, hoping it would attract the dog’s attention if he was nearby. There was no response; at least not from the dog. A pair of gray nulls squeaked and peered out from a pile of discard; one of them slithered away.  
  
She kept walking until she reached an alley; she peered into it. There was no sign of Frisket, although something told her that someone was nearby.  
  
Then she heard someone talking, and pushed herself against the wall. It was a voice she didn’t recognize; she decided to border on the line of caution.   
  
The tenure of the voice sounded like a young person…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell felt lucky. It would simply be a matter of whether that luck would turn out to hold up or not... time would tell. Not only had she confirmed that Gizmo had a copy of the IP address, but it also had a packet of information detailed the exact specs and build of her Uncle’s computer. Hopefully the IP address would be like the equivalent of finding someplace via their mailing address... although she still wasn't entirely certain how the Net worked. Maybe the other information would help as well, somehow.  
  
She giggled with glee as Gizmo revealed that it had a few other snippets of data as well that might help her locate that System. It wasn't much, and Gizmo made it clear that it still wouldn't be easy, but it was a hope.  
  
"Hey I'll take anything I can get right now," she said, standing up and stepping out from between the dumpsters. "Thank you so much! At least it gives me a little hope."  
  
"Now what do we have here?" A female voice drawled with a Southern accent. A lavender-skinned sprite with fiery red hair stepped out of the shadows, looking at the younger sprite. Particularly, the Keytool.  
  
Starwell flinched, her eyes widening as this person stepped toward her. She was briefly reminded of Anna, the woman who’d attacked her in her Uncle’s System, but this obviously wasn’t her. This person had a very different voice, a completely different outfit, not to mention her hair glowed like liquid energy.  
  
"Uh...." Starwell swallowed. "Hi?" Gizmo clicked and whirred on her arm. "Shh," Starwell shushed it. She then turned her attention back to the newcomer. "Um, I'm Alpha Starwell." Was it strange that she hardly considered herself "Hannah" anymore? Maybe she had been in this crazy world for too long.   
  
Or maybe Matrix had called her “Starwell” too many times...  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, trying to keep it friendly.  
  
"I'm Mouse," said the stranger, and she gave a half fanged grin, "Pleasure to meet cha, Sugar. I don't see many sprites outside of my group of friends, where do you come from?"  
  
The fangs unnerved Starwell a little. It wasn't like she had met many sprites, yet, but the last time she saw fangs in a sprite was Matrix... when he was infected. Was Mouse a vampire? After having just been cured from a werewolf sprite infection, she had no desire to become infected with something else… or to have her blood, or energy, or whatever drained from her body.  
  
Starwell found herself still uncertain of her surroundings, and she had no idea what might be considered proper etiquette. Therefore she thought it might be rude to ask if this woman was a vampire... in case she wasn't one. But still...  
  
She took a couple of nervous steps back, trying to put a little distance between herself and Mouse, just in case. "I'm... new," she said simply. "That is... well, I come from my Uncle's system, and I'm trying to get back there. I uh… I ended up falling into a portal that took me out of that system, and I got lost on the Net. Somehow I ended up here." She shrugged a little.  
  
She also decided that if Mouse flashed her fangs too much, or made any kind of threatening move, she was going to scream for Matrix.  
  
"Lost in the Net, huh? Well don't that sound familiar." Mouse took another step forward, letting herself relax and even put a little swing in her step. "Well now, that's a fancy little tool you got there. You a Guardian or something?"  
  
Starwell took another couple of steps back as her eyes widened nervously. Gizmo beeped a warning, and she placed a hand protectively over it. She didn't want it flying off or doing something stupid, and she didn't want to risk Mouse taking it.  
  
"It's... just a Keytool," she said simply, licking her lips nervously. "I'm not a Guardian. I'm a..." She bit her lower lip. Would Mouse believe her if she admitted she was a User? If she did believe her, would that cause any trouble?   
  
"Hmm, Alpha testing right?" Mouse dutifully noted the lack of an icon of any sort. She placed a hand on her hip, tilting her head slightly as she studied the young sprite. Starwell didn’t make any attempts to move further back, though she did seem uncomfortable under the scrutiny.  
  
"I guess you could say that," Starwell said thoughtfully. "I'm sure I am the first one of my kind, in a way."  
  
She chose to phrase her next sentence carefully, and she eyed Mouse to see how the fanged woman would react. "I got caught in that last Game," she said. "It accepted me as a second User.”  
  
“Ah,” Mouse mused, confirming what she’d already gathered. This young sprite was the little devil that the System had been calling for. Everyone heard something about a “second User” who’d been accepted in the last Game. "User, huh? How about you tell me about--"  
  
"Starwell! There you are!" Bob came from behind, "Oh, hey Mouse, I didn't expect to see you here."  
  
"What can I say? I appear when I want to."  
  
"You two know each other?" That actually helped Starwell relax a little bit. It seemed to help Gizmo calm down a bit, too.  
  
"Yeah, we go way back." Bob chuckled.  
  
"Oh yes, plenty of dates, Sugar." Mouse smiled mischievously.  
  
"Oooooo," Starwell intoned, a touch of mischief in her tone as she took in that piece of information. On her wrist, Gizmo almost seemed to chuckle in its own fashion. "Well," Starwell said, clearing her throat, "is there... somewhere we can go? I mean," she patted Gizmo, "my little friend here has the IP address to my Uncle's system. Is there anywhere we can go to check it out?"  
  
Bob spoke up. "The Principal Office might still have that Gateway Command.”  
  
"Sorry, Honey,” Mouse interjected, “but that disappeared when Megabyte fell off the Map.”  
  
"What?"  
  
"What does that mean?" Starwell asked, refusing to let her hopes be crushed yet. "Can we go to this Principal Office and take a look?" She sounded almost desperate.   
  
“Don’t see why not,” Mouse shrugged.  
  
"Awesome," Starwell said with a smile. "So uh... is the Command Dot Com a real sprite, too? Like us?"  
  
"Of course. Dot, Matrix's older sister is the Command Dot Com," said Bob, a little proudly.  
  
"Not alone," said Mouse, "She's got plenty of help."  
  
"Oh, really?" Starwell smiled a little, relieved that they didn't seem to be bothered by her continuous, simplistic questions. "Maybe I could meet her sometime."  
  
Gizmo beeped on her arm again. She eyed it briefly with annoyance, and then said, "So... what do we do now? What do you people... do here?" She gave a little shrug. Somehow she had a feeling she might end up having to stay here for a while. She might as well figure out what the natives did, so to speak. Outside of the games at least.  
  
"Do? Hon,” Mouse chuckled, ”I think I need to take you around town sometime." At a look from Bob she quickly amended, "With Dot and AndrAIa mind you, call it a girl's night out."  
  
Frisket appeared between them, giving a loud bark. He still eyed Starwell with that odd expression, as if the shock hadn’t worn off. Then he began to snarl.

Starwell’s eyes flew wide with alarm and she took a couple steps back. [Don’t worry about him,] Gizmo chirped, [I bet that mutt is afraid of cats!]

Frisket bared his teeth and barked; Starwell shrieked and ducked behind Mouse and Bob.

“Frisket,” Matrix said sternly, his voice calling out from above. “down boy.” The red-and-yellow dog looked up at him. The Renegade had appeared on a Zip Board, floating just a few meters above their heads.

Frisket whimpered as his ears drooped. Frisket then sat on the ground, though he continued to give Starwell odd looks.  
  
“It’s okay, boy,” Matrix reassured the dog. Then he dropped three other zip boards to the ground, "I think it would be a good idea to do a scan on me and Starwell, just in case the game left any coding. I don't want to have issues Rebooting in Games."  
  
Starwell eyed the item that had been dropped before her. She felt incredibly sheepish, realizing that she was about to ask yet another stupid question. "Okay, what is this?" she asked, picking it up and carefully turning it over in her hands. "And what does it do? How does it work?"  
  
"It’s a Zip Board, here I'll show you." Bob threw one of the Zip Boards out, and it unfurled into two platforms connected by what seemed like piping. He stepped on two the platforms, one foot each.  
  
The Zip Board activated, and rose until Bob was level with Matrix. "See?” He smiled. “Easy."  
  
"Oh yeah?" Starwell furrowed her brow, uncertain. She recognized the device; it was the thing that Anna Code had rode back in her Uncle’s system… when she was chasing Starwell. She had nearly forgotten it in light of all the things she’d been through more recently.  
  
"I don't know, it looks like you can fall off of it pretty easy,” Starwell said after a moment. Back home, it had taken her forever to learn how to ride a bike properly, because her coordination and balance hadn't been that good. She grimaced, unable to help the mental image of getting into a Zip Board just to tumble head-first into the ground.  
  
It made her not even want to try.  
  
"Thanks, but... I think I'll walk, if that's okay," she said warily. She clenched her fingers around the Zip Board thing, refusing to throw it out or let it expand.  
  
Before Bob could say anything, Matrix spoke, "Suit yourself. Frisket, escort her to the Principal's Office."  
  
"I'll also keep an eye on her," said Mouse. She gave the young sprite a somewhat curious glance, eyeing the alien Keytool on Starwell’s arm, though no one really noticed.   
  
Starwell was grateful that they didn't insist on her using the zip board. Perhaps she would try it eventually, but... just not now. She had just experienced too many weird changes and strange new adventures. Not to mention her life had been put in danger too many times in the game.  
  
She was in no mood to risk falling off of a zip board. Especially since... she was afraid of heights.   
  
Starwell eyed the sky as Matrix and Bob exchanged glances. “We’ll meet you back at the Principal’s Office, kid,” Matrix called out, and then the guys seemed to go on ahead. Starwell then took note of where Mouse hovered nearby on her own Zip Board, and then the young User-sprite glanced at Frisket.  
  
He really was a big dog. And a pretty one.   
  
"Hey boy," Starwell said with a smile, tentatively holding her hand out. "I'm Alpha Starwell. Are you a nice dog?" She let her hand hover in front of the dog's nose, knowing it was always a good idea to let them sniff you before you tried to touch them.  
  
Then it finally dawned on her. There were animals in this world? Could she get a pet here if she was forced to stay here a while? Maybe a kitten?  
  
Frisket sniffed her hand. He still had that odd look, as though he’d detected something different about her. When her hand got too close he bared his teeth and snarled, causing her to flinch and back up. He still wouldn’t attack her, as per Matrix’s order, but obviously he didn’t want to be touched by her.

“Come on, Starwell,” Mouse drawled in her Southern accent. “Let’s get going.”

Frisket snorted, put his snout in the air, and began to lead the way.


	24. Chapter 24

"So,” Mouse asked, “where'd you meet Bob and Matrix?" She floated slowly along side Starwell.  
  
"Uh, right around here, actually," Starwell said as they moved. She eyed Mouse curiously as she floated along on her Zip Board, quietly wondering how the sprite could do that without slipping or falling off. Was it all about balance, or did one's feet simply stick to the disks?  
  
"Actually," the girl corrected herself, "Bob found me first when I came into this system. Captain Capacitor and his crew brought me here from another system… let’s just say I was escaping some trouble.” She swallowed, then continued quickly. “Then a game cube dropped down on top of us. And... I first met Matrix inside that game. He tried to kill me because the game said I was a User."  
  
She shook her head slightly as she briefly replayed some of her memories from the game. So much had happened... it was amazing. "But me and Matrix are friends now," she said. "We... went through a lot in that game."  
  
Gizmo made a noise that sounded skeptical, yet it had some limited access to her emotions and her memories. It had no choice but to believe her, and perhaps it was altering its own opinion of Matrix accordingly.  
  
"Games can do that for ya, at least that‘s what I hear,” Mouse said, sounding thoughtful. “I've never been in one before."  
  
Starwell did a double-take, her eyelids flickering at Mouse. "Really?" she said, not quite believing it. "You've never been in a game? Why not?”  
  
"Sugar, I'm a Hacker program. If I go into a game, I get stuck there." Mouse shrugged, "Not sure about now though, my Icon's been updated you could say."  
  
"Oh," Starwell said. Then she blinked. "Hey… I don't have an Icon," she observed, remembering the small black and white disk that she‘d held in her own hands.. "But Matrix gave me his because he got infected inside the game, so I put it on my chest and then I quit the game."  
  
"You, what? You quit the game?" Mouse looked confused, more so than she had been in a long time.  
  
Starwell nodded. "Yeah." She patted Gizmo on her arm. "I used my buddy here to access the Main Menu inside the game. You know, it's how a User outside the game can quit, or save, or do whatever they want."  
  
"I didn't even know the User could purposely save a game. Or quit it."  
  
There was a brief shadow that passed, in the strange shape of a humanoid sized leaf, or something. Mouse couldn't help but smile. She knew who it was.  
  
Starwell didn't seem to notice the shadow. She was getting tired of walking, and she was considering the Zip Board that she carried under her arm for a moment. The curious side of her was starting to kick in again, just a little.

Would it be so bad to try it, just once?  
  
She threw it out in the same motion she’d seen Mouse and Bob do. Then she very carefully stepped onto it. She remained completely still, holding her arms out straight, getting ready to catch herself if she fell.  
  
"Okay," she gulped, "how does this thing work?"  
  
"All you have to do is step on it, little lady." The voice had not come from Mouse. But from a male, with a somewhat distinct Australian accent.  
  
Starwell glanced up, a little startled at the newcomer. She quickly figured though that she should probably get used to it. She was probably going to meet a lot of sprites before all of this was over. "Uh... okay," she said, and began to move forward gingerly on the Zip Board. "And... who are you?" She looked up at the man on the surf board. He was dressed in a glowing blue outfit, he had short blond hair, and some kind of goggles over his eyes.  
  
"Ray Tracer, at your service." Ray smiled, of course.  
  
"Now Ray," said Mouse grinning with a wink of the eye, "You don't wanna make her uncomfortable."  
  
"Right now I just want to figure out how this stupid thing works," Starwell said distractedly, staring down at the Zip Board. Her feet seemed to be secure in place, so she trusted herself enough to lower her arms and bend her knees a little.  
  
Gizmo seemed to beep advice and instructions at her as she rose higher in the sky. She was so focused on staring at Gizmo and just trying to move that she didn't realize how high she was getting.  
  
Then she began to move forward at a slow pace. Then she made the mistake of looking down. She was a lot higher up than she thought. And heights terrified her. She screamed. Gizmo squawked when her startled movement sent her zipping off in a random direction.  
  
She smacked face-first into the side of a building. She then began to fall.  
  
Ray was quick to react. He flew on his surf-board, and caught Starwell in the nick of time. Gently, he hovered to the ground.  
  
"Is she okay?" Mouse asked, flying to Ray on her Zip Board.  
  
The Surfer checked the girl’s vitals. “I’d say she will be,” he said with a nod. "She isn't used to flyin', is she love?"  
  
"Nope." Mouse stroked her chin thoughtfully as she once again observed the new sprite. “That much is obvious, Hon.” The young girl seemed awfully unsure about a lot of things, including things that even the youngest sprite should know. And apparently she couldn’t even fly a Zip Board properly.  
  
Alpha Starwell was out cold, mostly stunned. On her wrist, Gizmo was starting to throw a little fit in a series of squawks and whirs.   
  
"Now what's this little bugger?" asked Ray.  
  
"It’s her Keytool," said Mouse, "I'm sure she's associated with the Guardians somehow, but I can't pin point it. A system doesn't announce a second User in a game for nothing."  
  
Ray shook his head slightly. "There's never been a system I've been that's ever done that."  
  
"Welcome to Mainframe, Hon. The code doesn't run normally here." Mouse eyed the young sprite thoughtfully for a moment. The wheels had been turning in her mind for a while now, considering the possibilities.   
  
“Hmm,” Mouse mused thoughtfully. She was running everything she’d heard the young sprite say about games and her Keytool’s ability to access a “Main Menu” within a game in order to quit it.  
  
Mouse narrowed her eyes. Was it possible that Starwell really was a…?   
  
Ray studied the Hacker-sprite curiously as she reached out and touched the young sprite’s hand, gently securing it in her fingers as she briefly brushed her thumb against Starwell’s palm. Mouse then released it, as if she had confirmed that the girl was indeed solid and textured like any other sprite.  
  
“What is it, Love?” Ray asked, a little puzzled by her action.  
  
“Oh, nothing you need be concerned with right now,” Mouse said with a dismissive shrug. Still she had a glint in her eye, not quite mischievous but more… thoughtful, as if she had figured out (or highly suspected) something that no one else had yet.  
  
However, neither of them got a chance to pursue the subject further, for something else quickly caught their attention.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The Search Engine’s little boat entered the Mainframe system without difficulty. Dana Line docked her yacht at the local docking port, then shut off the engine.  
  
“And here we are,” Dana announced unnecessarily. Apparently it was a habit she’d developed, in case her passengers had fallen asleep or, perhaps, required a reassurance that it was safe to step out of the boat.  
  
Anna Code rose and moved toward the side of the boat. She looked around, trying to get a “feel” of the city. It was a bit different from what she was used to, though she was certain that it made a suitable home for those who lived there.  
  
“Alright,” she breathed, and then she stepped out of the boat. “I’d like both of you to remain here for the time-being,” the female Guardian said, even it sounded more like an order than a request. “Hopefully this won’t take long.” Indeed, she hoped it would be a simple copy and paste mission; get into the city, find Starwell, place the youthful User under arrest, and take her back to the boat.  
  
Better yet, perhaps she could simply delete Starwell within Mainframe and then leave the system. It would be nice to wipe her hands clean of the situation before she returned to Watson Codec.  
  
“Fine by me,” Dana Line shrugged. “Just remember that the meter is running.”  
  
“Noted,” Anna said, double-checking to make sure she still had her pistol and her Keytool. “I’ll be back soon.” With that she threw out a Zip Board and flew into the city.  
  
It quickly became evident that a normal search wouldn’t do the trick, especially since she did not have the resources or the connections that she would have had back in her own system. Therefore she had to resort to asking questions.  
  
Perhaps she should have brought the Tracking Cookie with her after all. However, she did not want to appear too conspicuous while in a strange new System.  
  
Most of the binomes she asked didn’t seem to know much, although everyone seemed to have heard a System Announcement referring to a “User”, and many of them had definitely heard the name “Alpha Starwell” after a game cube had landed. Several witnesses spoke of rumors about a ship that brought a passenger into the system, a strange sprite that the last game identified as a User for some reason.  
  
Anna decided that the docks would be the first area she would investigate. She asked for directions to that area, and then she was off like a shot. Apparently she had picked the right direction to go. She just happened to spot two sprites hovering in the air, one on a surf board and the other on a standard Zip Board. Anna narrowed her eyes when she spotted the male holding a young sprite who looked all-too-familiar.  
  
Anna kicked forward on her own Zip Board, swiftly approaching them and interrupting whatever the two sprites were conversing about. “Stop right there!” she shouted, her hand moving near her pistol. “I am Guardian 752 of the Watson Codec System. I am here on official business!”  
  
"Who in the Net?" The Surfer guy looked up.  
  
"Another Guardian?" the female, fire-headed woman said.  
  
"What do ya want?" the man called.  
  
"That's right!" Anna took the pistol she had on her belt and directed it at them. "Put the unconscious sprite down on the ground," she ordered, "and back away from her slowly. She is very dangerous, and she is under arrest."  
  
"You’re out of your jurisdiction! This is Bob's system," the female sprite with the Southern accent announced, "No other Guardians are allowed without the proper authorization Codes from the Supercomputer, save the Prime Guardian!"  
  
Anna's scowl darkened. She made no move to lower her weapon, although she was no fool; she knew that she was outnumbered here if she tried anything.  
  
And of course, she had foolishly left her backup (such as they were) back at the docks.  
  
"You don't know what you have there," Anna said sternly. "I have gone through great pains to locate her after she escaped from my system. I'm not letting her slip away again!"  
  
"Try it, Guardian!" The feisty female sprite unsheathed her katana.  
  
Ray pulled back, the Young sprite in his arms. He called up a VidWindow. The screen appeared just a foot from his face.  
  
"Ray?" Bob's face was on the screen, "Why are you calling? Is that--” His eyes widened. “Why is Starwell offline?!"  
  
"Bob, we got a bit of a problem..."  
  
"Don't either of you move," the female Guardian said with all of the force and intimidation she could muster. "This sprite is my prisoner and I intend to take her with me."  
  
She cocked her pistol threateningly, directing it between Mouse's eyes. "She is a threat to any system she sets foot in. She is worse than a virus. You must let me take her!"  
  
"I'd like to see ya try!" Mouse growled.  
  
"--Help will be sent." Bob cut the VidWindow.  
  
Ray would have joined with Mouse to defend, even if he didn't know who the sprite was really. But he had his hands full at the moment.  
  
"Cappaten," Anna barked, "containment field!”  
  
The Keytool on her wrist obediently released an energy field that formed around Mouse in several rings. It pinned her arms against her sides and secured her ankles together.  
  
"Mouse!" Ray turned to the Guardian, "Aren't you charmed company."  
  
“Aren’t I though,” Anna quipped, redirecting her weapon solely at the Surfer. She smirked; she now had the upper hand. “Either drop the girl, now,” she growled in a low, deadly tone, “or I’ll shoot you and take her from you.”  
  
Mouse hissed through her fangs and struggled against her bounds; the flat edge of her katana was pinned against her armored chest. If she had been contained in something tangible her katana would have been able to slice through it. But energy fields were one thing that its razor-sharp edge could not penetrate.  
  
However, the Hacker relaxed slightly when she saw a familiar figure appear just behind the Guardian.   
  
Ray saw the form as well. He kept his focus on the Guardian, and drew all of her attention on him. "You certainly overstayed your welcome!"  
  
"Go ahead, and try," said a dark masculine voice behind the Guardian, "You'll get your deletion wish." There was Gun just inches behind the Guardian's head.  
  
Anna Code actually blinked. She did not drop her pistol, but she did take her finger off the trigger and re-direct it toward the sky, harmlessly. "You are interfering with Guardian business," she stated sternly. "This sprite is from my System, and I intend to take her back. She will then be dealt with accordingly, for all of the crimes and atrocities she has helped commit."  
  
The Guardian knew she was over-stepping her bounds in a way. But in her heart, she felt like she wasn't exactly lying. Alpha Starwell might be technically new to the Net, but her kind had always been the cause and source of all suffering and heart-ache through the Net.   
  
"And you chose to step outside of your code's rules," said the voice behind, "You're playing a Renegade's rules. My rules. Gun, initial command: Full Deletion." The Gun made a mechanical noise. Anna’s skin crawled when she felt a target appear that was almost tangible.  
  
"All right!" The Guardian dropped the pistol and raised her hands just enough to keep them in sight. She didn't like this, but she knew better than to argue when it meant the possibility of being deleted or harmed.  
  
“Release Mouse,” Matrix ordered sternly.  
  
Anna sighed. “Cappaten,” she grated through clenched teeth, “release the containment field.” The Keytool whirred; a moment later, Mouse was freed.  
  
"What now, Renegade?" Anna questioned, turned her head ever so slightly to peer over her shoulder at the man.  
  
Right at that moment, Starwell began to stir in Ray's arms. She groaned softly and touched her head. "What... happened?" she asked, trying to get her bearings.  
  
"Ran right into a building, Sheila," said Ray, as he turned himself and his board away from the Guardian and Matrix, "You'll be flying in no time."  
  
"Why look at the time, we've gotta visit to the Principal's Office to get to." Mouse moved and obscured the view between Matrix and the Guardian, to Starwell.  
  
The female Guardian’s eyes bore into Matrix like orbs of liquid fire. She kept her hands raised in the air and she made no threatening move, but she did attempt to peer around Mouse at the young sprite. Her entire face contorted into an expression of pure rage, her eyes darkening. Her face now showed nothing but the utmost hatred, bitterness and disgust, as if Alpha Starwell was the most despicable creature that this Guardian had ever seen or heard of.  
  
It was a look Matrix had seen on occasion when he happened to glimpse his own reflection… while dealing with viruses. Why anyone would look at Starwell like that he couldn’t imagine. He disliked Anna all the more for it.  
  
"You cannot take her to the Principal's Office!" the Guardian exclaimed, her voice taking on a furious edge. "If you insist on this nonsense you must place her in a secure holding cell."  
  
Starwell could hear the familiar voice. She couldn't see Anna, but she could hear the voice. It sounded like...  
  
The very person who had been chasing her, and threatening her, when she first arrived in her Uncle's system.  
  
Starwell tensed fearfully, throwing her arms around Ray's neck as if seeking protection. "She tried to kill me," she whispered to Ray. "She chased me... that's how I ended up leaving my Uncle's system. She would have killed me."  
  
Gizmo was not happy in the slightest. It seemed ready for anything, if Anna so much as stepped an inch out of line again.  
  
"You should rest, Sheila, you took yourself quite a hit." Ray tried to coax her.  
  
"You need to relax, Sugar. Matrix can take care of this."  
  
"Hope that he doesn't take care too much..." Muttered Ray. With that, he took off on his Surf Board with a secure hold on Starwell, Mouse following close behind.  
  
Anna watched until they were out of sight, then she whirled around to face Matrix. She placed her hands on her hips, no longer caring that he still pointed Gun at her. “If you won’t hand her to me,” she insisted darkly, “you must lock her up immediately!”  
  
“And why would we do that?" Matrix said just as darkly. "The only time we've held someone close in a cell was your Prime Guardian, Turbo."  
  
The Daemon infection.  
  
Anna folded her arms tightly across her chest and scowled at Matrix as if he was a complete fool. "You really do not understand what you have here," she hissed, her nostrils flaring. She moved a little closer, just enough to speak into Matrix's face and meet his eyes directly. "She is worse than Daemon. I'm sure she hasn't realized her full potential yet, but she has the capacity to harm all of us in ways that you don't even realize yet."  
  
Anna sighed heavily and backed up just a bit. "If you won't hand her over," she said, "I demand that you let me accompany you. Now that I’ve found her I am not letting her out of my sight for long. And I demand to speak with your Guardian and your Command Dot Com."  
  
She was fairly certain she could persuade Mainframe's head or Guardian to see things her way. She did have at least some proof to back up her claims, if they would open their eyes and see it once she presented it to them.  
  
Matrix couldn't help but be peeved. He didn't like having to run to someone for problems. But his actions during the Daemon Infection had long shown him that his way could likely end horribly, and worst case scenario, get someone close deleted.  
  
"Fine, you wanna see Bob and Dot? Follow me, Guardian." Matrix zipped away.


	25. Chapter 25

Anna Code's eyes narrowed into slits. She unfolded her arms and zipped forward herself, following him as he flew toward the Principal's Office. Part of her was furious that the Surfer and the red-haired sprite were out of sight, but in the end it didn’t matter; they were all headed for the same destination.  
  
They arrived a short time later. Anna hesitated for a moment as she peered upon the dome-shaped building. It was approximately the same size as the Principal Office in her own System, perhaps slightly larger. Otherwise there was nothing really noteworthy about it.   
  
It looks so… simple, compared to the one in my system, she thought, perhaps a tad haughtily. Of course she did take pride in her home. Or maybe it was the simple fact that quaint Systems such as this one appeared unimpressive after living in the Supercomputer during her academy training.   
  
She tipped her chin, and then followed Matrix as he approached the building. "Your friends had better be keeping that girl under close surveillance," she spat at Matrix. "You don't want her getting loose in there."  
  
Matrix held his temper, though the muscles in his right arm tensed. He took a purposeful step forward and lead the way through the door.  
  
The Principal Office had suffered some internal damage from Megabyte's return, though most of it had been repaired or at least patched up. A few binomes glanced in their direction as the sprites passed, but otherwise focused on their work.  
  
Unfortunately for Matrix, neither Dot or Bob was there to greet him and the Guardian.  
  
"Holy-"  
  
"-Moly."  
  
Two large robots had stopped at one of the doorways into the Principal Office. One was mostly Red, the other was mostly Blue.  
  
"Alphanumeric..." Matrix muttered.  
  
Anna's icy gaze switched from one robot to the other, looking them over in a single sweeping glance. She rested one hand on her hip, allowing the arm containing Cappaten to swing free. No one except those closest to her knew that this was her way of appearing casual and "loose" when she was actually fully "on-guard."  
  
"Who are these guys?" she asked in a very, very uninterested tone. She didn't even look at them when she asked this; she looked at Matrix.  
  
Before Matrix could speak...  
  
"Uh, we are Dot's Bodyguards-" started the Blue one.  
  
"Yeah, Dot's Bodyguards! Dot's bodyguards-" said the Red one.  
  
"I just said that-"  
  
"I know you did, you did say that-"  
  
"I am trying to let the big guy know-"  
  
"I know you are! I know you are-"  
  
"That's ENOUGH!" Matrix snapped, "Hack, Slash, where's Dot?"  
  
"She's, uh, she's out," said the Red, Hack.  
  
"Yeah, she's out and about," said the Blue, Slash.  
  
"Out and about, and yeah..."  
  
"Where?" Matrix nearly growled the word.  
  
"I think she said something about going to the Archives," said Slash.  
  
"About the User Announcement, thing," said Hack.  
  
"Great..." Matrix let out a breath.  
  
Anna Code had had enough. She took a bold step forward, giving the nearer of the two robots (Hack) a rough shove as she stepped between them. "Just get out of my way," she hissed. "Show me where the girl is. I need to make sure she isn't causing any trouble." She glared at each of the robots with her piercing gaze. "If none of you idiots are going to take this situation seriously, I will."  
  
Hack and Slash shook. Matrix thought that if they shook any harder they'd fall to pieces. Again.  
  
"Uh, what girl?" asked Slash, hesitant.  
  
"There are a lot of girls here," said Hack.  
  
Anna all but did a face-palm. "Alright, let me be more specific. Alpha Starwell," she snapped. "She was probably brought in by a sprite riding on a surf board. Sound familiar?" She demanded impatiently.  
  
Hack and Slash looked on each other.  
  
"Does she mean the Surfer guy?"  
  
"The guy with the surf board, I think."  
  
"That's what I just said!"  
  
"I know, I was just- Just- um, what was that word again?"  
  
"Clarence?"  
  
Matrix rolled his eyes.  
  
Anna had had enough. At this rate, she would get more accomplished if she searched the entire Principal Office herself than keep talking to those two. She ignored the robots and even Matrix, moving forward down the long hall as if she had dismissed their existence. She marched down the long corridor, keeping alert. She held her arm with Cappaten on it out in front of her, as if she was expecting something bad to happen.  
  
"Now, who are you?" said a young female voice.  
  
Anna immediately turned to find herself face to face with a very attractive female sprite with long, flowing blue hair. She had a certain aquatic look about her. "Guardian 752, Anna Code," Anna introduced herself stoically. "Who are you?"  
  
"AndrAIa!" yelled from down the hall, as Matrix caught up.  
  
"There you are Sparky," said AndrAIa, "You and Bob had us worried there, with the game and all," AndrAIa turned to the Guardian, "So, I thought no other Guardians aside from Bob were allowed in Mainframe."  
  
Anna leaned lightly against the side of the hall, her form erect as if remaining ready for action. "For now, I have business in Mainframe," she said. "Urgent business." She then patted a data package on her belt. "I have proof that Alpha Starwell is not only very dangerous, but..."  
  
Anna narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. "That she is a real User."  
  
"User, I heard the announcement." AndrAIa put her hands on her hips, "She could also be a sprite a long way from home." AndrAIa had gotten a VidWindow from Bob, explaining the situation.   
  
"Oh she is a long way from home," Anna scoffed, "but a lot further away from home than any of you think. She is completely out of her element." She folded her arms. "I understand that your Command Dot Com is not present. Is your Guardian present? If he is, I will speak to him. Otherwise, I insist upon seeing Alpha Starwell myself."  
  
"That would be me." Bob walked from behind AndrAIa. He had a rare look of disappointment, as if he just caught a child in the cookie jar, "I think I've heard of you. Weren't you a Cadet when I left the Supercomputer?"  
  
Anna took a step toward him until they were almost toe-to-toe, as if dismissing the presence of the other sprites the same way she had Hack and Slash moments ago. "My past is inconsequential," she stated. "I insist on speaking to you alone, away from prying ears."  
  
"Alright then.” Bob folded his arms, and glanced at his friends. “AndrAIa, Matrix… Would you?"  
  
"But Bob--" Matrix was cut off by AndrAIa's hand touching his shoulder.  
  
"Its alright, lover. Bob will call us when he needs us."  
  
Matrix stood for a moment, then consented. The two left, leaving only Bob and Anna.  
  
“Alright,” Bob said, focusing his full attention on the younger Guardian. “What did you want to talk to me about?” His gaze swept over her, examining her Bitmap. He had never been formally introduced to the girl back when she was a Cadet, but he had seen her from a distance. Turbo had mentioned that Anna Code had potential, even if she had a chip on her shoulder and a fiery temper. Still, the Academy didn’t dismiss recruits just because they had emotional baggage. If Code had graduated, it meant she didn’t let those issues (whatever they may be) get in the way of her training.  
  
The girl had obviously grown into the woman he saw before him now; a young woman approximately the same age as AndrAIa, give or take a couple compilation cycles. Bob frowned slightly at the intense look in her eyes; it was an all-too-familiar anger very similar to that which Matrix exhibited when it came to viruses.  
  
Anna took a step back and glanced around briefly, as if making certain they were indeed alone. Then she reached onto her belt and took one of the data pads she had there, studying it for a moment. "I have three things I would like to show you," she said. "This is the first." She then handed him a system log from her home system.  
  
The older Guardian accepted it. "What is this?" Bob skimmed through it. It included a ReadMe file that went into detail about the nature of the matter-converter device that made it possible to convert a User (also known as a Human) into a format that could exist within a system. The log itself showed proof that the converter had been used, just once, after the software had been installed.  
  
Bob finally glanced up, furrowing his brow in puzzlement. "This doesn't make sense,” he said. “Does Turbo know?"  
  
"I don't believe so," Anna said. She made no move to take the data pad back from him. He could keep the copy for all she cared; she knew what it said, and had backups. "Here, you may also want to look at this."  
  
She took a second data pad from her belt. This one contained the system log of what happened when the converter Device was actually used, and it documented the fact that Alpha Starwell had been changed/reformatted to enable her to enter the System. She handed it to him, silently daring him to deny the evidence she was now showing him.  
  
A moment or two passed as he poured over this data as well. "...Alright, I get it," Bob finally said. He took in and let out a breath, "Starwell is a User, as far as we know." He scratched the back of his head, but there truly wasn’t any other evidence. He'd been wrong, or maybe he had known the entire time.  
  
He gave Anna a stern, commanding look. "We're not going to lock her up."  
  
Anna simply took the third and final data pad from her belt. "Before you decide anything one way or another, Guardian," she said, somehow managing to make that form of address sound sarcastic, "I think you should see the final item I brought."  
  
She held it out to him. It was a data pad detailing the specifics of what kind of software had been installed to control the Device and make it operate, and a system log of what happened when it converted Alpha Starwell into a sprite. It gave a few specifics that were a bit... unnerving.  
  
Apparently, the software installed had acted somewhat independently, taking it upon itself to model a User's sprite Format into something that would enable certain functions within a System. It had also created a unique and powerful Keytool just for her, one that could access at least some User Commands.  
  
The Keytool, which Bob knew to be Gizmo, had not been created from scratch however. Something powerful that Starwell had had in her possession right before she entered the Net had been converted into the Keytool, perhaps based upon Cappaten’s own schematics after a thorough system scan performed by the converter hardware.  
  
Anna had no idea what sort of device or item Starwell had had with her, but it was obvious that Gizmo was originally something that existed in the User world, outside the Net. Whatever the Keytool was before they could only speculate.  
  
Anna gave Bob a stern look, silently daring him to continue to insist that the girl was not a potential threat.  
  
Bob met her gaze evenly, never wavering. He then became uncharacteristically serious. "...Tell me, what do you know about Mainframe?" he asked quietly.  
  
Anna frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?" she asked impatiently. "I know nothing about this system, but it doesn't matter. I'm here for Starwell."  
  
"I know. You do know that Daemon's Infection stopped here? Do you know that its cure came from here?"  
  
Anna sighed, becoming impatient. Did he think she was Basic? Everyone knew about the Daemon Infection, most especially Guardians; she had been infected herself, forced to go against her own training and code. It simply made the threat of viruses all the more personal. Once you had been violated by someone, you never forgot it.   
  
"Yes, yes," she said in an uninterested tone. "I know about that. Look," she started to push past Bob, "I want to see the User." She began to move off, as if intent on searching every room for Alpha Starwell's whereabouts if she had to.  
  
Bob’s firm voice stopped her. "It would be in your best interests for you to stay and listen. I know where Starwell is, and you won't get to her unless you hear me out." He stood patiently.  
  
Anna pursed her lips. "Say what you have to say." She folded her arms and leaned against the wall, looking like she was mostly humoring him.  
  
"Do you know what spread the cure across the Net?" asked Bob.  
  
The female Guardian rolled her eyes. "A virus," she said in a sing-song tone that a young sprite would use when being asked to recite a lesson to her teacher.  
  
"Yes. But why a virus? And why was the virus allowed to do such a thing?" Bob said it like he knew the answer.  
  
Anna folded her arms and gave him an odd look. "You tell me, Professor Guardian." Her tone was mildly sarcastic.  
  
"Her name was Hexadecimal, and she was more powerful than a Supervirus," said Bob, "She was a virus whose format was to cause as much chaos as possible. She was insane, and she resided in Mainframe. Under the normal Guardian Protocols, she would have been caught and destroyed as soon as possible. But she wasn't. She, along with her brother, Megabyte. Do you know why?"  
  
Now Anna looked at him like he was insane himself. But if the prize for listening to this buffoonery tolerantly was that she could get somewhere near the User, she would continue to humor him. "I'm sure you're about to enlighten me." She didn’t add, with this warped perspective you apparently have.  
  
"Guardian project. The point was to reform viruses, since it wasn't their fault that they are the way they are," said Bob, "Otherwise, this system would've been wiped clean a long time ago."  
  
“You say it’s not their fault,” Anna cut in, speaking in a low and deadly tone. “If that is true, then it is the Users’ fault. Meaning the Users are far more dangerous than any Virus. And,” she added with a hiss, “you have a User in your midst. Your warped ideals may allow you to go against your code, but I will not go against mine.”  
  
Her eyes locked with his, her entire stance becoming a challenge.  
  
Bob took a step towards Anna. He was still uncharacteristically serious, "This system is under my protection,” he stated firmly, “and I will mend and defend it. Even if that means I must defend it from you. Starwell is under my protection. You understand that? You are out of your bounds."  
  
The younger Guardian scoffed. “Right, I should have known the one who chose to harbor viruses would decide to harbor a User as well.”  
  
Bob’s brow furrowed and he folded his arms. “Guardian 752, you should know better than anyone that anything is a potential threat. If you want to be that literal about it, you could also say that we are a threat to viruses for destroying them.”  
  
In a way, Bob was almost surprised at his own words as he heard himself say them. Perhaps Megabyte’s speech about how reprogramming was a fate “worse than deletion” had gotten to him more than he’d thought. In truth though, now that the words had truly sunk in… was he any better than a virus for planning to force someone to change when they didn’t want to?  
  
“Are you saying we should leave systems defenseless?!” Anna practically shouted. “You said yourself our function is to mend and defend!”  
  
“Yes,” Bob acknowledged. He was still firm, but he did not raise his voice. “Mend and defend, not delete and defend. I kept two viruses contained in my system for a long time. Hexadecimal turned into someone good by moving past her original function, and she saved the Net.”  
  
“What about the User girl?” Anna folded her arms.  
  
“She hasn’t done anything,” Bob pointed out. “Your evidence shows me that she is a User, but I’ve spent a great deal of time around her. She’s just a kid, a long way from home.”   
  
He let out a breath when it began to sink in just where Starwell’s home truly was. Out there. Not just out of Mainframe, but outside the entire Net.  
  
Anna turned away from him, moving a short distance away. She wasn't going anywhere; she scowled and placed her hand on her chin, clearly unhappy and obviously mulling over everything she'd been told.   
  
Finally she turned back to face him again. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "Just tell me one thing," she demanded. "Do you truly believe that she is a User?" Right at that nano, nothing else mattered. She needed to know that someone in this crazy system believed that Starwell was a User. A fellow Guardian, someone who wasn't her own Command Dot Com or even her husband back home. Just... someone.  
  
She wasn’t sure why it felt so important. Perhaps she needed someone of the same format, rank and training to look her straight in the eye and say that he believed in the astounding fact that a User had set foot into a system.  
  
"Yes. I do,” Bob stated sincerely. His eyes looked straight into hers and she could see the conflict there. He had accepted the facts presented to him, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about it yet. “But you aren't touching her."  
  
Anna nodded; that confirmed that. A sudden epiphany made her realize why it was so important for her to know that he believed her. It was because she had to find out if he was truly crazy in his ideals. Apparently he stood up for Viruses in his own way, and now… he had flat out said that he believed the girl was a User, due to the proof she’d showed him.  
  
And he refused to take any kind of precautions. She glared at him.   
  
Bob suddenly looked exhausted, "I think it would be better if you just go. You treading more dangerous territory that you think you know."  
  
Anna opened her mouth, looking every bit like she was going to argue. She blinked a few times. He had a User in his clutches and apparently he wasn’t going to do anything about it. She realized there was no point in trying to argue with him; his mind was made up. She simply let out a sigh and rubbed her forehead warily. Maybe... she needed to rethink everything. She wasn't about to give up on her hatred for the User, not after milking it for so many minutes and hours and hoping to eventually make a User pay for everything they had done.  
  
But still, she had rushed into this mess prematurely, without a plan. She couldn't get near Starwell now even if she wanted to. She had blown it by announcing her presence too soon, and too carelessly. She had made herself an aggressor.   
I should have thought this through more carefully, she reasoned, knowing she had allowed her temper and impulsive nature get the better of her. If she had introduced herself as a friend, perhaps someone who was out looking for a “lost sprite”, she might have had Starwell in her clutches already. But it was too late to try that ploy.  
  
"Alright," she conceded, hating herself for it. "I will leave the Principal's Office." She frowned at Bob. "Do you want me to leave Mainframe too, or can I stay at least another second?"  
  
"If you want," said Bob. "And you're gonna need to hurry. I don't think Matrix appreciated you threatening a friend of his."  
  
"Friend?" Anna all but spat the word. Her eyebrows raised high on her forehead, nearly disappearing under her fiery-red bangs. She huffed and shook her head, as if befriending a User was the most absurd thing she'd ever heard of.  
  
"Wait until you share that data with Matrix and everyone else," she scoffed, indicating the data pads she'd handed him. "See how much they like your precious Alpha Starwell then." She let that hang in the air for a moment, then she turned away. "I will see myself out." She began to march toward the exit.  
  
"Yeah, sure..." for the moment, Bob was just happy that he didn't have to put on such a strong front. It was exhausting, and it just wasn't like him and he knew it.  
  
In a way, he understood better than anyone why Anna Code felt compelled to act the way she was… even at the prospect of leaving her own system to seek out a… User.  
  
Every Guardian was compelled to respond to their programming. In some situations, if a Guardian was presented with an unexpected circumstance, they could revert to their Default Setting. The “defend” in “mend and defend” was unkind and merciless. It forced Guardians to complete their function, regardless of who or what they hurt along the way.  
  
He suspected that might have been what happened to Anna Code. There were few times that he cursed the Guardian Code, the first was when he had to get a special Icon signature in order to prevent him from out rightly deleting Megabyte and Hexadecimal when the "experiment" came into play.  
  
The second was now. His programming now conflicted with Anna Code’s, as he was compelled to protect viruses as well as… a User-in-the-Net. Starwell, their new friend. This was another reason why no Guardians were allowed in Mainframe; they would have conflicted with Bob’s “radical” morals… especially his somewhat altered coding.  
  
He could only hope that he wouldn’t be forced to fight Anna. She was opinionated and brash, but he couldn’t fault her for her Format; she was following her function. He wouldn’t force her out of Mainframe… yet. But he didn’t want to be put into a situation where he may have to delete her, either.   
  
It made his processor freeze momentarily just thinking about it. The prospect of having to possibly delete a Guardian simply for fulfilling her function to mend and defend was… unthinkable. No, he would not delete her. He would find another way, he always did.


	26. Chapter 26

He turned around, and figured that he’d head over to see how Starwell was doing.  
  
However, he didn’t get very far. “Bob,” Dot’s voice called out to him before he went very far.  
  
“Oh, hey Dot,” he greeted her with a small smile. He realized that he hadn’t seen her since their date back at the Diner… which seemed like it had been an eternity ago now. Dot no longer wore that form-fitting blue dress she’d had on; she now wore her standard black inform, which she always wore at the Principal Office.  
  
“I passed an angry girl on my way down the hall,” she said. “She looked like a Guardian… do you know who she is?”  
  
Bob nodded. “Yeah, she’s a younger Guardian who trained at the Academy like I did. She was just a Cadet when I came to Mainframe.”  
  
“Well she looked like she was upset about something. She nearly shoved me against the wall as she passed by me.” Dot rubbed her shoulder.  
  
Bob sighed. “She has… issues with Starwell,” he explained, then he tried to change the subject. “Did you find what you were looking for in the archives?”  
  
“Not really,” Dot answered. “I was looking for leads on anything that might explain why the System reacted the way it did, and why it would announce a User. But--” She eyed the items in his hand. “What are those?” she asked.  
  
“Oh, uh… just some Guardian business.”  
  
“Does it have something to do with that angry girl who just charged out of here?” She leaned forward slightly, trying to peer at the data pads.  
  
Bob didn’t want to discuss this right now, but he figured Dot deserved to know. She was the Command Dot Com, and she would understand. “Do you have your organizer with you?” he inquired tiredly.  
  
“Yeah… why?”  
  
“Let me see it for a moment.”  
  
Dot handed it to him and he uploaded the data from the pads that Anna had given him onto it. He then handed it back to Dot, who began to look at some of the data.  
  
“Take some time to look it over,” Bob said. “When you get a chance… please show it to Phong, too.”  
  
Dot had seen a lot of strange things in her time, both in Games and within Mainframe itself. She had heard many speculations and theories about the User, some of them backed up by fact, others backed up by rumor or wild guesses. But never in all her hours had she ever thought she would see anything like this.  
  
“Bob…” She pressed her hand against her lips, tearing her widened eyes away from the organizer screen. “Does this really mean…?”  
  
“Yeah,” he answered. “I think it does.”  
  
Dot Matrix had never before looked quite so awe-stricken and horrified at the same time. “A User in Mainframe,” she said aloud as she continued to look over the data. Verbalizing it seemed to help make it a little more real.  
  
“We should quarantine her until we know exactly what we’re dealing with here,” she said in her official, no-nonsense tone. The Command Dot Com was speaking now. “We should also keep this under wraps for now; I don’t want to risk a system-wide panic over this.”  
  
“Dot,” Bob said, getting her attention and taking her hand. “Come on, she’s a kid. Ray and Mouse told me she doesn’t even know how to ride a zip board.”  
  
“But, Bob--”  
  
“I’m sure Starwell can stay in the Principal Office for now, and we can make sure someone is near her at all times.”  
  
Dot narrowed her eyes. She appeared to think it over. “Well, if you’re sure,” she finally said with a reluctant sigh. “But… a User, here in Mainframe?” Dot breathed deeply and let it out slowly, processing this. “We don’t know anything about her, Bob. The only contact we’ve had with Users up until now is in Games!”  
  
“Starwell was with me and Matrix in that last game, you know,” Bob reminded her.  
  
“Yeah, we all heard the System Announcement. I thought it was strange and some of my staff thought it was an error in the game. But--”  
  
“But now we know it wasn’t an error,” Bob interjected. “She was frightened and uncertain throughout that game. She had mentioned playing games for ‘fun’ before, but I can tell she didn’t enjoy being inside that game very much.”  
  
Dot looked intrigued and thoughtful. She had that scientist’s gleam in her eye, the one that proved she truly was her father’s daughter in some areas. “Probably because a User has never been physically inside a game before, they always play from outside the Net where they control an avatar.”  
  
“Like pulling strings on a puppet,” Bob acknowledged. “But a User who actually goes into a game herself…” his fingertips brushed his chin thoughtfully. “She has the potential of being harmed just like anyone else.”  
  
“This is all very interesting, Bob,” Dot said slowly, “and I’m sure we could learn a lot, but… we should also be careful.”  
  
“I don’t think we need to worry about her, Dot. Like I said, I’ve spent a lot of time with her in that game. She doesn’t seem to have a malicious pixel in her whole bitmap.”  
  
“…Alright,” Dot finally relented. “I’ll speak to Phong about this in a few nanos. But promise me we’ll keep this under wraps for now, until we know more.”  
  
“Will do.”  
  
“And,” Dot pressed a hand against the Guardian’s chest and gave him a peck on the cheek. “We should go out again. Sometime soon,” she smiled.  
  
Bob looked taken aback, his mind nearly forgetting what they had been talking about for a nano. “Uh, yes,” he stammered sheepishly, pleased. “We will.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell was in one of the other rooms within the Principal’s Office. Mouse and Ray had escorted her safely to the dome-shaped building and, once they were inside, Ray had hopped off of his Surfer board and set Starwell down on her feet.   
  
“You doing okay, Honey?” Mouse asked in that friendly, big-sister kind of way that she had. She stood close by and placed a gentle hand on the young sprite’s shoulder, as if making sure she wouldn’t fall. Starwell did seem a little dazed from her first attempted flight, and a bit distressed at the appearance of that female Guardian.  
  
“Yeah, I think so,” Starwell said with a little nod. “My head doesn’t hurt anymore.” She frowned at both of the older sprites. “Anna’s not gonna come in here to get me… is she?”  
  
Ray gave the end of his Surf Board a gentle stamp with his foot, flipping it up onto its end. He then took it under his arm so he could walk with it. “Not to worry,” he said. “Matrix has probably handled it already… or if he can’t, Bob and Dot will.”  
  
“This is also why we took the back entrance of the Principal’s Office,” Mouse said with a little wink.  
  
“What does that mean?” Starwell asked.  
  
“It means that if they bring her here, they’ll come in through the front way,” Mouse said, squeezing her shoulder. She began to walk forward slowly, guiding Starwell to walk in step beside her. “Now don’t you worry, Sugar,” she added quickly, upon seeing the look of alarm on Starwell’s face. “You’ll be perfectly safe in here.”  
  
Ray lingered behind a bit to speak with Bob on a VidWindow, but the conversation terminated after he updated the Guardian; apparently Bob had another matter to attend to. The Surfer then caught up with Starwell and Mouse near the end of the hall.  
  
“Anything new going on, Hon?” Mouse asked.  
  
“Just updating Bob on our whereabouts,” Ray answered with a smile. “Apparently he’s gone to speak with that other Guardian.”  
  
“Well, hopefully she’ll listen to him,” Mouse remarked with a shake of her head. “I still don’t trust those Guardians much.”  
  
“What about Bob?” Starwell couldn’t help but chime in.  
  
“Sugar, Bob is… well, different,” Mouse replied. “He isn’t your typical Guardian by any means.” An odd look of affection crossed her features as a memory flowed through her mind. “I still recall the time when he was just a cadet, not much older than Little Enzo. He captured a virus and then he let it go.”  
  
“Let it go?” Ray sounded more curious and intrigued than taken aback. “Why did he do that, love?”  
  
“Well, she was quite pretty for a virus, you see. She had a way of sweet-talking almost anybody into doing anything, especially the naïve and inexperienced sort. When she appeared in the Supercomputer, Bob happened to come across her by accident and was prepared to take her in, until she acted like the victim and batted her eyelashes at him.”  
  
“Who was this?” Starwell asked curiously. “What was her name?”  
  
“Jezebel, I believe it was,” Mouse replied thoughtfully. “I only know her because she hired me once… that was when I met Bob for the first time, actually.” She gave a dismissive gesture. “But that was such a long time ago. Maybe I’ll tell ya about it sometime.”  
  
“Aw come on, I’d like to hear about this,” Starwell couldn’t help but grin. The Net was a very big place, and pretty strange, but… stories like this helped her learn more about the Net, how it was similar to her world and different.  
  
Besides, it helped her feel better when Matrix told her a couple of stories from his youth.  
  
“Was that when he arrested you for hacking into the Supercomputer?” Ray asked. He had a twinkle of amusement in his eye.  
  
“Nah,” Mouse said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “That happened just before he relocated to Mainframe. When I worked for Jezebel, Bob and I crossed paths because he was on a mission to locate and either capture or destroy the Virus. I suppose it was part of a training exercise for the cadets, and it was led by one of the older Guardians.”  
  
“So you were working for Jezebel during this?” Starwell blinked. “What did she hire you to do?”  
  
“Protect her, mostly,” Mouse shrugged. “Back at that time I was just starting my career as a freelance hacker. If anyone had Units to pay, I would do nearly anything so long as they paid upfront… as long as I didn’t have to get my hands too dirty in the process.  
  
“Anyway,” she went on, “Jezebel was actually an old-format Virus, nearly obsolete. She wasn’t powerful enough to stand up against even the most basic viral scan in most Systems, which meant she remained in older Systems for a long time. But each time the User would upgrade, she would end up having to leave in her own defense.  
  
“I think she originally went to the Supercomputer in the hopes of finding some kind of upgrade to defend herself,” Mouse went on thoughtfully. “Instead she only found a nest of Guardians, the heart of their collective. So she fled, and ended up crossing paths with me.”  
  
“So what’s when she hired you?” Starwell reasoned.  
  
“That’s right, Sugar. As I said, I was just starting to work on my own at that point, especially since my Daddy was no longer around. He got caught in a game and converted into a game sprite; I never saw him again.”  
  
“That must have been hard on you,” Ray said sympathetically.  
  
Mouse only shrugged. “To be honest with ya, he was never much of a father. He taught me everything I needed to be a good hacker, and I taught myself a lot of other things. Otherwise, well, we never had much to talk about.”  
  
“But he was still your father,” Starwell said. “Don’t you miss him?”  
  
“Can’t say I really think about him much one way or another,” Mouse said. “There was one encryption technique he promised to teach me someday… something that went beyond even my current skills. That is about my only regret for not seeing him again.”  
  
“Here I thought you knew just about everything there is to know about hacking and encrypting,” Ray teased lightly.  
  
Mouse chuckled. “Oh, things are always changing and being upgraded. I have to stay on top of everything and do my homework to keep myself up to date, Sugar. But there are some techniques developed that were ahead of their time, and still are.” A wistful sigh escaped her lips. “My Daddy was the true Master.”   
  
“So uh, what happened with Jezebel?” Starwell inquired. She didn’t want to hear anymore about family. It might make her think about her own family too much… and how she missed being home where everything was normal.  
  
“Well, I managed to erect shields around an empty building that Jezebel chose to reside in. I also managed to upgrade her Icon so that she wouldn’t trigger a viral scan or attract notice from Guardians. She might have been fine, if she had kept to herself.  
  
“You see, virus’s can’t go against their code. Once her survival seemed ensured, she got cocky and tried to infect the system she was in… which attracted the attention of Guardians. Specifically, the team that Bob was in. So Jezebel called me back to help her conceal herself again. By the time I got there, though, the Guardians had already broken through her defenses and their ringleader deleted her.”  
  
“Wow,” Starwell breathed, unsure whether to feel sorry for the virus or not. So far she had yet to meet a real virus; the worst individuals she’d encountered were Guardians who had their own agenda. She knew that viruses were bad things; her own computer back home had one once that required a complete reinstallation of Windows to wipe it out. But… what was it really like, to meet one in person?  
  
She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know.  
  
“So anyway,” Mouse was saying, “I got there just as the Guardians were cleaning up and about to leave. I pretended to be a resident of that System, and I approached Bob to ask him what happened. That’s when I first met him.” She smiled fondly at the memory.

“And it wasn’t the last time I saw him when we were both young sprites either, but… well, those are tales for another time.”  
  
“Maybe we should exchange stories later, love,” Ray said. “Sounds like there are a lot of interesting adventures we have yet to share with each other.”  
  
“Then it’s a date,” Mouse winked. Normally didn’t she talk so much about her past, especially not in front of a stranger. It was simply her way of trying to put the girl at ease and make her feel welcome.  
  
Besides, the hacker sensed no hostile intent or anything from the curious, young sprite. And if Mouse’s hunch was correct about Starwell’s true nature, well… it was safe to say the girl really was outside her element.  
  
They walked down another hall toward one of the deeper rooms as Ray followed them. When they entered one of the rooms they came face to face with another program, whom Mouse quickly introduced her to.  
  
“Starwell, this is Phong,” she said. “You’ll be in good hands with him; he wants to take a look at cha.”  
  
Phong reminded the girl of E.T. in sort of a robotic way. They introduced themselves to each other and she quickly decided that she liked him. He was a little odd to her, but he seemed like a wizened, Grandfatherly figure with a quirky side. He had a gentle way of speaking that charmed as well; it helped her relax a bit more.  
  
“Now if you’ll excuse me,” Mouse said, “I have some things I need to tend to. I’ll be seeing you around though, Sugar.”  
  
“And I as well,” Ray said with a smile.  
  
“Okay, see you,” Starwell said with a little wave, as the two sprites left the room.  
  
“So,” Starwell said after a few moments, "uh... Matrix said something about how I should get scanned to make sure the Game didn't leave any bad code in me. Is that anything like a medical examination?" She wasn't sure if that term was relevant here, but she didn't know how else to discuss things except by comparing it to elements she knew from her life in the Real World.  
  
"No, my child, just a simple scan," said Phong, "Come with me, if you will." The room Phong led to did look like a doctor's office medical room, of sorts. "If you would sit on the bed there?" Phong gestured towards the medical bedding.  
  
"Um," Starwell took a tentative step forward, "okay." She hated going to the doctor. She always had. But this was just a simple scan... right? She stood next to the bed, stared at it for a moment, and hesitated. She looked down at Phong. "Is this going to hurt?" she asked sheepishly.  
  
"No, not at all." Phong moved over to a terminal looking device, "If you would lie down, please?"  
  
Starwell appreciated his politeness very much. At least he wasn't ordering her to do anything; he was treating her like a houseguest. She gave a small, nervous smile as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "This feels like something from Star Trek,” she said thoughtfully.  
  
Phong looked at her quizzically. “Excuse me?”  
  
“Uh… nothing. Hey, are you going to scan Gizmo, too?" she asked. She took the Keytool off of her arm and looked at it thoughtfully, wondering if she should take it off and put it aside.  
  
Gizmo protested. It slipped out of her hand and re-attached itself firmly to her arm; apparently it did not want to be removed from her.  
  
"Okay, Gizmo wants to stay where he is," she said. "Hope that's okay." She lay down on the bed and stretched herself out.  
  
"Do not worry, Bob prefers his own Keytool as well." Phong tapped a few buttons on the terminal, "Hold still, if you please."  
  
The scan passed right through her as she lay still, staring up at the ceiling. Phong had been correct; she didn’t feel a thing. Phong took a close look at the terminal, "Oh dear..." He stared intently at the data that passed before his eyes on the readouts.  
  
Starwell sat straight up. "What do you mean, 'Oh dear'?" she demanded. "Is something wrong with me?"  
  
"No, no my child. There is nothing wrong." Phong said, surprisingly calm. There didn't seem anything wrong, just the strange readings he was getting... The scan would need to be examined more closely later. "You have no residue Game Code, you should be fine. If you would find Matrix, so that I may scan him as well. Please?"   
  
"Sure," she said, relieved to get up off the bed. That had been quick and painless and she was glad it was over. "I'll be right back," she promised.  
  
She headed out of the Principal's Office, suddenly a little unsure of where she was going. It was a fairly big place, and it usually took her a while to become acquainted to new areas. She wandered down the hall, seeing no one in sight right away. "Hello?" she called out. "Can somebody help me?"  
  
"Whoa, who is that?" someone said, quietly, "I've never seen her before!"  
  
Starwell looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Okay, who's there?" she called out. "And can you help me find Matrix?"


	27. Chapter 27

"Hey! That's my big brother!" From behind a corner, came a young green sprite with a red cap, "Who are you?"  
  
Starwell blinked. She now found herself face to face (or rather, towering over) a... kid. Someone younger than her, and shorter than her. She was slightly reminded of her own younger brother, though this kid was obviously younger than Greg.  
  
Actually… this kid ended up reminding her of a kid she used to baby-sit back in her home town. The curious, over-talkative kind of kid who would ask a lot of questions or just blurt out anything that popped into his head. Even then… at least this kid turned out to be not quite as annoying as that kid.   
  
"Matrix is your big brother?" she asked, astonished. "Wow... well, I'm Alpha Starwell." She held out her hand in greeting.  
  
Gizmo beeped and clicked on her arm. "What do you mean," Starwell asked, confused, "that he scans the same as Matrix?"  
  
"Technically, I'm his copy," said the boy, "I'm Little Enzo, why are you looking for Matrix?"  
  
"Phong wants to see him," Starwell said. "Do you know where he is?"  
  
"I don't know. I think AndrAIa left him at Dot's Diner… though that was a while ago… before the game, actually.” The kid’s shoulders shrugged.  
  
Starwell shook her head slightly. In other words Matrix was probably around somewhere… neither of them knew where. "Well, as long as he gets scanned before he goes into another game, I guess it's okay," she said.  
  
“That game sure was cool, though!” Enzo enthused with a smile.  
  
Starwell blinked. “You were in that game? I didn’t see you anywhere.”  
  
“I was with AndrAIa most of the time,” Enzo said. “She kept saying we shouldn’t go for the User, but we found him eventually. AndrAIa took him out with her trident, but I finished him off with my sword! Like this!” He made a sweeping, stabbing gesture with his hands to demonstrate the killing blow. “It was totally cool! We thought the game would end, but…”  
  
“Yeah… the game kept going because there was another User in the game,” Starwell reasoned with a nod. At least she now knew what happened specifically to the other User, even if it was just a lifeless avatar.  
  
“Yeah, me and AndrAIa couldn’t figure it out!” Enzo said. “After a while though, the game just ended. I guess that means the User or whatever left.” Again he shrugged, then he looked curious. “So were you and Matrix in that game?”  
  
“Yep, we were,” Starwell nodded. "He and I got infected with some kind of werewolf virus," she explained to the kid. "We actually changed into werewolves a few times... Bob ended up changing, too." She was too tired to go into the full details, so she left it at that.  
  
"Werewolves huh? That's cool! Did you have super claws or maybe an infectious bite!" Enzo pumped up and smiled.  
  
"If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about this any more," Starwell said with a sigh. "I just want to..."  
  
She trailed off, frowning. She was truly beginning to feel outside of her element now. She realized, not for the first time, that she had no idea what daily life was like here, so to speak, or what these people... did. How often did they need to eat (or consume energy)? Did they have something like... baths or showers? Did they have to brush their teeth? Did they have... apartments? Where was she going to live?  
  
These questions along with dozens of others began to swirl around in her mind. She felt like she was going to have to make a complete fool out of herself asking all kinds of stupid questions that even someone younger than Little Enzo would know the answers to. Considering how Mouse reacted when she asked what the Principal's Office was, and how she made a fool out of herself on her Zip Board...  
  
She groaned softly. "Excuse me, kid," she said, walking off. Since none of these people would accept that she was a User, she would have to continue to make a fool out of herself until she learned her way around, apparently.  
  
Enzo followed, "Hey! Wait for me!"  
  
Starwell gave her head a slight shake, but otherwise didn't care if he followed her or not. Then, all of a sudden, she got an idea.   
  
She stopped walking. "Hey, Enzo..." She turned to face him and slowly knelt down until she was at his level. "Let's play a game. Pretend I'm a real User, okay? And pretend I don't know anything about this place or what any of you people do. Do you think you could do that?"  
  
"Um, sure! What'd you wanna know about?"  
  
She smiled, starting to ease into the conversation. "Okay. Again, we're pretending I know nothing about... well, life," she emphasized gently. "So tell me..." She cocked her head to one side, thinking. "How often do you have to... eat or drink?" she asked. "And what do you eat or drink?" That seemed like the most important thing to start with. Basic survival questions.  
  
"Well, stuff like drinks and apples and all that kind of stuff," Enzo tilted his head, "You're really weird."  
  
Starwell rolled her eyes, then chuckled a little in spite of herself. It was hard for her to take offense, especially considering how weird all of these people were to her. "Yeah, I guess I am weird," she said. More than you think, kid, she thought. "Where do you get these drinks and food? Do you people have some kind of... currency?" If they did, she might have to think about getting a job, or something. Ugh. More to learn.  
  
"You mean Units?"  
  
"I... think so. How do you earn those?"  
  
"I know if you work somewhere you get Units."  
  
So that did mean she would have to get a job. Either that or be a free-loader. "I see," Starwell said with a small nod. "Okay we'll come back to that. Tell me something else... how do you... get clean?" She didn't know how else to phrase it. It seemed... strange to ask if these people took a bath. And the idea of water inside a computer was just absurd.  
  
"You take a bath or a shower! You are really weird!"  
  
"You mean... you have something like water?"  
  
"What's water?" Enzo sounded like he’d never heard that word before.  
  
Starwell sighed. "What... substance do you use to take a bath or a shower?" she asked patiently.  
  
"Energy, what else?"  
  
"So you take a bath in energy?" Starwell blinked, astonished. "How does this work? Does it hurt?"  
  
"Why would it hurt?"  
  
"Well... never mind," Starwell coughed. She was certain that if she got an apartment or room somewhere, she would be able to find out about this for herself. Assuming the place came installed with running water--or rather, running energy. Or whatever. "Okay um, we'll come back to that," she went on.  
  
She thought for a moment. "Okay, new question," she said. "Um..." She pursed her lips. "Where do you live? Do you live in a house, or an apartment, or something?"  
  
"Oh, you know, here and there," said Enzo, "I'm like a renegade or something!"  
  
Even someone as out-of-the-loop as Starwell could tell when a kid was just, well, being a kid. Talking about what went on in his imagination, and what he would like to be. Starwell smiled and shook her head slightly. "Thanks, kiddo," she said quietly. She gave him a pat on the shoulder. "I'm feeling really tired right now, but could we play this game again another time?" Since no one believed she was a User, this might be the only way to get answers to stupid questions without embarrassing herself too much.  
  
"Can I come with you too? I never got to do anything fun after Megabyte. Well, except for games when I can get into them, but everybody’s always trying to keep me out!”  
  
Starwell smiled. The kid was very... vocal about what was on his mind, but she couldn't help but like him. Unfortunately, looking at him also made another thought pop into her mind. "Hey there is one other thing I'd like to ask, in our little game..."  
  
She stopped. She put her hand over her mouth. What kind of sick person was she to even consider asking a kid this question?  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Starwell blanched. She stood. "Uh... this is something that wouldn't interest you," she gulped. "It's... a girly question. I really ought to ask Mouse."  
  
Yeah, she thought. Then I can embarrass myself all over again by asking her... if I decide to. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to know how baby sprites were made anyway. But apparently it was possible, since... Enzo was a kid, and... there were obviously male and female sprites.  
  
Apparently the computer world was a lot more similar to the real world than she thought...  
  
"I'm man enough, I swear!"  
  
Starwell all but face-palmed. On her wrist, Gizmo seemed to jiggle in amusement. "You're not helping," she hissed at the Keytool.  
  
She then narrowed her eyes at Little Enzo. "Listen, kid," she said, "Matrix or Bob might kill me if I asked you this."  
  
"But I wanna hear it!"  
  
Starwell sighed. She looked very carefully in both directions, and then she figured... why not? It seemed like back in her own world, sometimes kids as young as ten or eleven years old knew about sex... and even, well....  
  
She grimaced. She very slowly knelt down next to Enzo and cupped her hands around her mouth as she whispered into his ear. "Where do baby sprites come from?" That was about as delicately as she could think to phrase the question. Either he'd give her some kind of stork theory, or she'd hear the truth. She wasn't sure which would be more disturbing.  
  
"That's easy. The Mommy and Daddy compile codes together, which creates a source code which will become an operating sprite."  
  
Starwell blinked. "But how do they... compile codes together?" That was about as close as she could come to asking if the Mommy and Daddy... took their clothes off. She blushed slightly and turned away, feeling extremely awkward about all of this.   
  
"I don't know, Bob didn't say anything after that."  
  
Starwell chuckled nervously, feeling a little relieved all things considered. "Come on," she said. "I want to find out where I can spend the night... assuming you people have a sleep time." She yawned, which seemed to confirm that sprites did get sleepy. I thought I got enough sleep in the game, she thought. Maybe it just showed that she had really, really worn herself out while she was in there.  
  
Being a werewolf probably didn't help matters any.  
  
"Maybe you could stay at Bob's place,” Enzo suggested with a shrug.  
  
....That almost seemed like an inappropriate suggestion, although it probably only seemed that way because it came on the tail-end of that awkward discussion. "Well," she gave a one-shouldered shrug in return, "I don't suppose I have many other options. Maybe I can ask him about housing arrangements or something."  
  
She glanced at her Keytool. "Gizmo," she said, "can you locate Bob?"  
  
Gizmo beeped. It then zeroed in on the location of Glitch, Bob's Keytool.  
  
"Ah, it seems he's not too far away," Starwell said, already moving. "He's just down the next hallway. You coming, Enzo?"  
  
"Of course I am!"  
  
Starwell chuckled and shook her head slightly as they pressed onward.  
  
It wasn't long before they intercepted Bob in another hallway. He looked... thoughtful, per-occupied, almost as if he was mulling something over in his mind. He also seemed rather tired.  
  
"Hi, Bob," Starwell greeted him. "How's it going?"  
  
"Huh?" Bob was distracted, and found Starwell looking at him, "Oh, hey Starwell. How was the scan?"  
  
"It was fine," Starwell said with a little shrug. "Phong said there's nothing wrong with me." She looked at the Guardian curiously. "Is there something on your mind? You look kinda... distracted."  
  
It then occurred to Starwell that she had no idea what happened to that female sprite who had been threatening her. She pushed it out of her mind for the moment; she figured she was safe enough here. Bob, or somebody else, would probably tell her if she had any reason to worry about it.  
  
Bob smiled, tried, "No, nothing wrong. Just thinking."  
  
"What are you thinking about Bob?" asked Little Enzo.  
  
"Hey Enzo, I see you've meet Starwell."  
  
"Yeah, she's kinda weird though."  
  
"Enzo..." The Guardian gave the kid a look.  
  
Enzo’s head tipped forward, regretful. "I'm sorry, Bob."  
  
"It's alright," Starwell said. "I was asking him a bunch of crazy questions anyway. Just, um, part of a game." She forced a chuckle. She just hoped the kid wouldn't mention how she'd asked about the computer version of the birds and the bees.  
  
Starwell then eyed the small objects Bob had in his hands. They looked like... Ipods, or perhaps data pads from a science fiction show. "What are those for?" Starwell asked curious. "Are they something that you read?"  
  
"Ah, uh, yeah." Bob closed the data, "They are. This is Guardian Business and all. Sorry if I can't show it."  
  
Ah. In other words, it was classified data. Starwell shrugged a little and dismissed it. If something wasn't any of her business, she wasn't going to press it... even if she was curious. Hannah had learned that lesson very well; it was how she ended up in this mess and became Alpha Starwell, after all.  
  
"Well," Starwell said, glancing at Enzo and then back at Bob, "Um... I guess I'm just wondering where I can crash for the night. And..."  
  
She got a wary look about her. "Is it gonna be safe if I leave this place?" She was referring to the woman who'd threatened her. She still didn't know the sprite's name or anything about her.  
  
"Don’t worry about Anna Code… she left a while ago,” Bob said, clearing his throat lightly. “I'm sure Phong has a guest room around here." Bob gave a half smile, "I know, I stayed here when I first came into Mainframe."  
  
Starwell liked that idea. Especially if it meant she didn't have to face the wrath of Code, or risk giving herself another concussion on that stupid zip board.  
  
"Sounds good to me," she said. "But I just want to know something..." She frowned, taking a step forward as she lowered her voice. “That woman who‘s been after me…" she asked. "She tried to kill me when she first saw me... when I first... well, back in my Uncle's system. She's the reason why I ended up leaving and getting lost. But… who is she?" Starwell narrowed her eyes.  
  
"A Guardian. It was just some... Miscommunication," Bob said carefully, as if guarding his words. "You don't have to worry about--Hey, where's Enzo?"  
  
Starwell glanced down, then ended up looking around in every direction. Apparently that kid could really move when he wanted to.  
  
"I don't know," she said with a shrug. She then dismissed it. If the kid found her by wandering around this building, surely it was safe enough for him to roam around free. She wasn't going to worry about it.  
  
"So anyway, that woman is a Guardian?" the girl pressed. "Why does she..." Starwell stopped, then glanced away. "She wants to kill me for the same reason Matrix wanted to kill me at first," she muttered, more to herself than to Bob.  
  
Bob let out a breath. "Lets find that room for you."   
  
Starwell looked uneasy. "Can I bunk with someone tonight?" she asked warily. "Maybe Mouse? I'd just... feel safer." Great, now she was getting paranoid. She was starting to envision assassins coming after her or something.  
  
"You could, I guess, you'd have to ask her."  
  
Starwell considered the idea. "Where is she right now?"  
  
"I don't know. Probably somewhere with Ray."  
  
The girl pursed her lips in annoyance. Every time she wanted to know where someone was, the answer proved to be difficult. However, something quickly occurred to her; when people back in her own world wanted to keep in touch, they used cell phones to call or text each other. Surely these people did something similar, right?  
  
"What's her cell phone number?" Starwell blurted out. Then it occurred to her that she didn't have a cell phone here... or whatever their equivalent was.   
  
Gizmo suddenly let out a few beeps, though she didn’t understand what it was on about. For some reason the term “cell phone” seemed… significant to the User-Keytool. But Starwell was too tired to pursue the matter.  
  
"What's a cell phone?" Bob asked tiredly.  
  
The girl frowned. She decided that she was not in the mood to discuss cell phones or figure out what the alternative forms of communication were. "Never mind," she sighed. "Look, if it's easier... I'll just stay here tonight in one of the rooms." She patted her arm thoughtfully. "I'm sure Gizmo will make sure nobody comes after me... right, buddy?"  
  
Gizmo beeped excitedly.  
  
Bob shrugged, "Fine with me."  
  
They walked quietly down the corridor for a moment. Starwell yawned softly, stretching her arms above her head momentarily.  
  
"So, what happens tomorrow?" she asked out loud. "I mean... is there anything I should do or anyplace I should go, or can I just stay in tomorrow?"  
  
"How about... Dot's Diner? You can meet everybody there, if you like."  
  
Starwell assumed that that was like the local hang-out or something. "Sounds like a plan," she said. "By the way..." She stopped and looked at him for a moment. "I just want to say thanks for everything. I mean..." She scuffed her shoe against the floor, looking sheepish. "As you probably guessed, I didn't get the warmest welcome in... well, the other system I was in.” She beamed at him. “But you guys have been awesome."  
  
"Yeah," Bob gave a tired but prudent smile, "We in Mainframe look out for each other."  
  
They said nothing else to each other. Bob spoke briefly with Phong and Starwell was shown to one of the guest rooms. It was fairly sizable, almost like a small apartment complex in itself. It even had its own facilities.  
  
Starwell murmured her thanks, and then she was left alone for the night. She still felt a little uneasy (even a tad paranoid) but she figured Bob wouldn't have left her alone if he thought she was in any danger here.


	28. Chapter 28

It took her a little while to fall asleep, due to her strange surroundings, but it was easier than she expected it to be. Perhaps it was because she had already slept in a stranger place; inside a game. Of course, none of her friends or family back home would ever believe any of this… who could truthfully say that they had changed into a werewolf, thirsted for game-blood and game-energy, and slept on barren ground in that form?   
  
Yeah. If she ever returned home… nobody would ever believe any of this, except maybe her Uncle. And those Very Important People he worked with, most likely.  
  
She had absolutely no idea how long she slept. All she knew was that some time later, Gizmo itself woke her up with a series of insistent beeps and whirs. She groaned softly, disliking the rude interruption of her peaceful slumber.  
  
“What?” she demanded. “Why are you waking me up?”  
  
Gizmo beeped another series of communication with her.  
  
“So what?” Starwell demanded. “I thought that’s what sleep is for. I feel… fine.” Even as she said it, she knew it wasn’t really true. Sleep may have helped her feel less fatigued, but Gizmo was right; she was getting very low on energy. Especially since she hadn’t eaten or drank anything since the game.  
  
“I guess I am hungry,” she realized. “But… where am I going to find something to eat? I don’t even have any money.”  
  
Gizmo beeped again.  
  
“Yeah, I remember about the Diner Bob mentioned,” Starwell said thoughtfully, “but everybody else is probably still sleeping. And I don’t have any money--or, Units.”  
  
Gizmo beeped insistently.   
  
“I know I should take care of myself! Geez, you’re starting to sound like my mother!” Starwell said in annoyance. “I just think… we should wait until a more decent hour. I think I can last until then at least.”  
  
However, it was easier said than done. Apparently the computer-equivalent of hunger pangs were actually pretty difficult to tolerate or ignore. She ended up finding it nearly impossible to get back to sleep.  
  
So she simply decided to try something else, just for the heck of it; she would experience what an energy-based shower was like. It made her a little nervous, but… hey, there was a first time for everything.  
  
She set Gizmo on a table just outside the restroom, promising it that she would be right back. She just wasn’t in the habit of taking anything into a shower with her, especially electronics, because they might get… wet. Of course, in this case, she wouldn’t be using water. But still… old habits die hard.  
  
Gizmo seemed a little miffed at being left behind, but it accepted it. Then it got an idea…  
  
Starwell stepped into the bathroom and got undressed. She then stepped into the small shower space and closed the glass door. She studied the knobs for a moment, and then she turned on a flow of energy. If she had still been human, she was certain she would have been electrocuted. However, this actually felt… good, soothing. It didn’t even tingle.  
  
It was just more proof to Hannah that Alpha Starwell was truly a different kind of being.  
  
She stayed in there for some time, enjoying the energy rays that bathed her, and then finally she stepped out. She used a towel to wipe off the excess energy (it was in a liquid-like form) and she got dressed. Then she stepped out of the bathroom.  
  
She glanced at the table where she’d left Gizmo. It was gone. “Gizmo!” she cried out, looking around. “Where are you?”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, Anna Code was still not particularly happy. She was pleased that she hadn’t been ordered to leave Mainframe, since that gave her some time to figure out what she was going to do. If nothing else, she could find a place to crash and she could sleep on it for the night.  
  
However, she did not want to rent an apartment or anything else. She wanted to be somewhere near the city, but not near any of these people. As far as she was concerned, all of these people were idiotic risk-takers if they thought they could co-exist with viruses, never mind a User.  
  
So she ended up returning to the Docks on her Zip Board, where Dana Line and Miss Cookie were, thankfully, still waiting for her.  
  
“I can’t get to Alpha Starwell tonight,” Anna told them as she approached.  
  
“Bummer,” Miss Cookie said simply. She was dutiful in her tracking activities, but she had the enthusiasm of a Null when it came to conversation or anything else.  
  
“What are you going to do?” Dana Line asked.  
  
Anna used Cappaten to bring up a scan of the city. “According to this,” she said, “there is a small island just beyond the city… and it seems to be unoccupied.” She put away her zip board and hopped into the transport vessel, taking her usual seat. “We are going to head there.” She nodded at Dana. “Take us there, if you will.”  
  
It was some time later that they arrived at the Island. By that point everyone was tired and exhausted, especially since they’d already had a full day of traveling. They simply docked the transport vessel, set up camp on the edge of the island, and bedded down inside a tent.   
  
Anna Code decided she would explore the island a bit more in the morning. Whether it was intuition or something in her Guardian Code, something just didn’t seem right about this island.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Alpha Starwell felt something akin to a headache as she stepped out of her room, scratching the back of her head. Was it possible to have the sprite-equivalent of a low-blood-sugar headache? That's what her mother might have called it. Or perhaps simple dehydration.  
  
In this case, it would probably be more like an energy deficiency.   
  
She headed down the hall, looking this way and that as she went. "Gizmo!" she called out. She trying to call out softly as not to wake anybody else, but she couldn't exactly whisper if she wanted to be heard.  
  
"Gizmo! Where are you?"  
  
Great. With her luck, someone might have stolen it. Then again, it might have the tendency to wander off; it was kind of mischievous.  
  
She sighed. She came across a random door down the hall. She took a deep, sheepish breath, and decided to knock on it. Maybe whoever was in there could help her find Gizmo. She hesitated, momentarily wondering if she would be disturbing someone. After all… she was a tad more sheepish about wandering into places where she might be unwelcome, especially considering what happened when she snuck into her Uncle’s office.   
  
Then she decided to just go for it; she opened the door and stepped inside. "Hello?" she called. "Is someone in there?"  
  
A woman’s head snapped up, as if slightly startled. "Where did you come from?"  
  
Dot had been working late at the Principal Office again. The strange system announcement during the Game, Bob's revelation, and Matrix's scan... It worked on her mind, making her work harder.  
  
Starwell started a little, looking at the green-skinned woman. She had short black hair and she was wearing glasses.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Starwell said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I was just looking for my, um, Keytool."  
  
“I’m Dot Matrix,” the woman greeted. “I’m the Command Dot Com of this System,” she stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"Oh, I heard about you," Starwell said with a friendly smile. "You're Matrix's sister, right? He told me about you and your diner." She raised her hand and extended it, as if offering to shake Dot’s, but a bit of movement in the corner of her vision caught her attention.  
  
A strange device had wandered into the room. “What is that?” Dot asked aloud, causing a few of the nearby binomes to turn and look as well. It looked like a Keytool…   
  
"Oh, there he is!” Starwell exclaimed, taking a step toward the hovering device. “Gizmo, come here!” She sounded like she was scolding a runaway puppy.  
  
Gizmo beeped as it hovered before her face. It clicked and whirred, explaining that it had simply gone to see if it could find her some edible energy. It then returned to her arm.  
  
"Well don't wander off again, you had me worried," Starwell rebuked it lightly.   
  
A few of the nearby binomes were talking quietly amongst themselves, whispering about the strange girl and her wandering Keytool. A look from Dot hushed them. The Command Dot Com had already realized who this was; Matrix had mentioned her and Bob’s data spoke for itself.   
  
So… it was really true, then? She was in the presence of a real User? Dot touched her chin as she studied the girl. She knew that Bob had always wanted to meet the User and establish a dialogue, something which she never aspired to; she had her own life and her own duties. She never had the time to think outside the Net.   
  
But now that she was thinking about it… this was hardly what she would have expected. Obviously this was just a child, older than her little brother but definitely younger than the grownup sprites around Mainframe.  
  
“So uh, as I was saying…” Starwell glanced up from Gizmo and noticed Dot looking at her in a strange way. The User-sprite frowned. “Why are you looking at me that way?”  
  
Dot opened her mouth, then closed it. “No reason,” she said, making a dismissive gesture. She and Bob had agreed that there was no reason to confront the girl on the issue or create needless panic around the Mainframe. “I’m glad you found your… Keytool.” Dot found it odd that a User would have a Keytool, although it did seem different from a Guardian Keytool.   
  
Many questions swirled around inside Dot’s processor, though she held them at bay. Even if she were to ask them… for once in her life, she didn’t know where she would begin anyway.  
  
"Me too,” Starwell said. “So… Matrix mentioned you,” she went on in an attempt to continue a conversation in the awkward silence. “Are you like the leader of Mainframe? Are you... like a Queen or a President or something?" The idea awed Starwell a little.  
  
"No, I just regulate the system, that's all." Dot found it impressing that the Young sprite had even gotten close enough to Matrix, considering she was a stranger to Mainframe.  
  
"Oh, okay," Starwell said, even if she still didn’t quite understand. It sometimes seemed as though the more questions she had answered, the more questions would pop up. But she figured there would be time enough for everything.  
  
Starwell blinked when she suddenly remembered something. "Hey, I have a copy of the IP address to my Uncle's system, do you think you could use it to help me find my way home?" She looked at Dot, hoping.  
  
"I could locate it,” Dot answered, “but we would need Bob to open a portal to it." She eyed the device on the girl’s arm; it might actually be possible for Starwell to open a portal herself, with her own Keytool. However, Dot didn’t want to give the kid any ideas to try anything on her own.  
  
Plus they didn’t know much about this girl… or her strange Keytool.   
  
Starwell beamed. "Here, I'll give you the IP address," she said. "Gizmo, what's the address?"  
  
Gizmo beeped a series of numbers and dots, listing the address. Starwell nodded, then repeated it to Dot to make sure she got it.  
  
Dot moved over to another terminal and keyed the numbers into the Net search parameter. She then waited silently as the System pinpointed the location of the IP address. When the System was located, Dot took off her glasses and looked at the younger sprite thoughtfully.  
  
"This system,” Dot said, “this is almost half-way across the Net from here. I think we'll need Mouse for this, I don't think Bob is up to opening Portals alone yet."  
  
"But will it be possible for me to get back there?" Starwell pressed eagerly, trying to hide her desperation. "I mean... I really need to get back there, as soon as possible."  
  
"It could be,” Dot said. She tapped a few more keys and an image lit up on the screen. It appeared to be an image of numerous Systems connected throughout the Net, visualized as green dots connected by straight lines. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the readouts. “There’s something odd about this System, though… it’s giving off strange energy readings, and it seems well-protected by its internal security.”  
  
“What’s that mean?” Starwell blinked.  
  
Dot gave the younger sprite an apologetic glance. “It means we should investigate this a bit more before you try any Net level. Just to make sure it’s safe.”  
  
“Oh… well, at least you’ve found it,” Starwell said, refusing to have her hopes dashed.  
  
In reply Dot isolated a specific location on the Net map and blew it up so that one particular area filled the enormous screen. “Right here,” she said, pointing a finger at the small cluster of Systems that appeared there. “The IP Address you gave me is that one.”  
  
“That one?” Starwell squinted, pointing her own finger uncertainly.  
  
“No, the second one from the top, on the left.”  
  
“Oh, that one.” Starwell looked at it thoughtfully. She inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, placing her hands against the table and leaning forward. She looked as though she wished she could jump through the monitor and be back in that System, if only she could.  
  
Dot eyed her with curiosity and some compassion. A small part of her almost wondered if her now-bigger-brother, Matrix, and his girlfriend AndrAIa had ever looked longingly toward the sky or a Net Map like that during their quest to get back home. At least this girl had an advantage; she was in a system among friends, not game-hopping.  
  
“Come with me,” Dot said, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder and taking her to the far corner of the room.  
  
“What?” Starwell asked once they were out of earshot of everyone else.  
  
Dot frowned. “I’d like to know what happened,” she said. She spoke in the same lightly firm tone she might use with Little Enzo when she began a serious conversation and wanted a straight answer.  
  
“What do you mean?” Starwell asked, frowning in return.  
  
The Command Dot Com sighed softly, wondering if this should wait until she was better rested. Instead, she pressed the subject. “How did you come to Mainframe?” she asked.  
  
“I… was in my Uncle’s system when that Anna Code person attacked me,” Starwell answered. Gizmo growled empathically on her arm, backing up her story with feeling. “It’s a long story, but… I ended up in another system, where I got in trouble with a local gang or whatever. I told the police chief what was going on and he paid Captain Capacitor to take me to Mainframe. They all said that maybe you guys could help me get home.”  
  
Dot nodded, thinking briefly of that angry girl she had crossed paths with earlier. Upon hearing this news she almost wondered if it had been a good idea for Bob to just let her leave without supervision, but… maybe Bob was giving Code the benefit of the doubt.  
  
“So,” Dot said, choosing her next words carefully, “you want to go back to where you originally came from, correct?” Outside the Net? The world of Users? Dot briefly wondered what that place was like… though perhaps it was beyond her comprehension.  
  
Starwell cocked her head to one side, as if intrigued that Dot would phrase the question like that. She opened her mouth to say something else, but then she glanced sharply down at Gizmo.  
  
The Keytool bounced a little on her arm. If she didn't know any better, she would think that the little device was throwing a fit.  
  
"What is the matter with you?" she asked.   
  
Gizmo changed shape, into that of a scanner. It showed two items of interest that were rapidly approaching the city. It then beeped several times, trying to tell Starwell something.  
  
The User blinked. "Uh, Dot?" she said. "I think Gizmo is saying that there's a Virus or something coming into the city?"  
  
“What?” Dot glanced away sharply, then returned to the center of the control room. Several heads snapped up in alarm as she quickly brought up a VidWindow. “Call the CPU’s,” she ordered as she checked the system detection grid. “We’ve got something heading our way.”


	29. Chapter 29

Anna Code had awakened to a slightly stiff neck. She’d always had difficulty sleeping whenever she entered a different system. It didn’t matter if she was camping or in a comfortable apartment, there was just something different about each system that she needed time to adapt to. It had been the same way the first few Minutes she’d spent in the Supercomputer during the early stages of her Guardian training.  
  
She sat up and rubbed her neck warily, glancing around to make sure her companions were still present. They were still fast asleep. She carefully got up, not wanting to disturb their beauty sleep for the moment. She undid the tent flap and stepped outside, blinking at the sky above. So far it seemed to be clear and static; no sign of problems, no sign of games. Although that could change any moment, she knew.  
  
The Island appeared to be fairly run-down, as if it had once been occupied but had been abandoned for some reason or other. She yawned softly, stretching her limbs. Anna then grabbed her nearby pack and grabbed some energy rations, rejuvenating herself with a quick energy drink and snack. Once that was finished she decided to take a quick look around.  
  
“Cappaten,” she said, “scanner.” What she found on the close-range scan was actually a bit unnerving. There were remnants of viral activity emanating from this area. Much of it had degraded, but she knew to be on her guard.  
  
A part of her mind remembered Bob’s warning, that she was treading into things she didn’t know. She also remembered that he said that viruses were apparently allowed to stay here without being deleted. Did that mean there was one living on this island?   
  
Or was it possible that this area was once the territory of Hexadecimal, the Virus that defeated Daemon? She shook her head slightly, and decided to check out the area a little more. She was already a rogue Guardian (she refused to consider herself a “renegade”) and she decided that, if the rest of the Guardians were not going to do their job and get rid of anything that endangered a system… she would.  
  
At the very least, she hoped that the Mainframers were dutiful enough that they would clean up this Island after it had been abandoned. The fragmented chunks of viral code and viral activity indicated that this area had not been touched or even investigated, let alone cleaned up. That thought really bothered her.  
  
“Bob is an idiot,” she murmured to herself as she pressed on across the Island surface. “If Turbo allowed this, then he’s an idiot as well.” She didn’t know either of them very well, although she had interacted with Turbo more than she had Bob. Guardian 452 had crossed paths with her once or twice before he left the Supercomputer to go to Mainframe. She had no idea what his impressions of her had been, but she had neither been impressed nor disinterested in meeting him; they were all Guardians there, at that Academy, after all. She simply knew that she would one day get her own System to look after.  
  
Yeah, and you abandoned it, the responsible part of her Guardian mind told her.  
  
She gritted her teeth. “I didn’t abandon anyone,” she argued in a low, fierce tone. “I tried to contain a User, someone more dangerous than a virus. If Bob and everyone else can’t see that, then I have to take matters into my own hands.”  
  
Her lips thinned into a determined line as she quickened her pace, heading straight for the heart of the Island… wherever that may take her.  
  
Anna eventually came to a building further in, which appeared to be a lair of some sort. She cautiously approached, keeping Cappaten at the ready in case something happened. She moved very slowly, keeping herself alert as if the shadows themselves might attack her. It was, after all, best to stay cautious when it came to a virus’s dwelling.  
  
She had only hunted one in her system, where she had terminated it. She hoped she would never have to repeat the experience… but oftentimes, not many sprites got what they hoped for.   
  
It took some maneuvering and some aide from Cappaten to get around, but eventually she made it to the heart of Lair. It was like a large saucer-shaped sphere hovering in the middle of the air, as if the person who once lived here had no problem with flying or levitation. It also contained something that looked like a throne.  
  
But there was more. There was a small box in the middle of the floor, and it was locked.  
  
“Hmmm,” Anna purred, kneeling down to get a closer look. She wasn’t complied yesterday, though; she knew that the box could possibly be dangerous. Her first impulse was to simply use Cappaten to cleanse the entire area, removing all viral traces and residue. And yet…  
  
The rogue side of her kicked in again, thinking. If Bob wasn’t going to do what needed to be done about the User, or even Viruses for the most part… what if she used something viral against the User herself? Give a User a taste of its own medicine for once. Let a User become infected or damaged, or possibly erased, by a Virus’s toys.  
  
“Cappaten, scan the box,” Anna ordered. The box appeared to be impenetrable by a scanner. “Hmm,” she purred again. “Looks like I might just have to take a chance and open it.” She stuck her fingers just under the lid, trying to pull it off. She gritted her teeth; apparently this was going to require some elbow grease.  
  
“Come… on!” She grunted, putting her back into it. “Ugh!” She removed her hands; her fingers were starting to sting from the effort. “Okay,” she murmured. “Cappaten, pry bar.” The Keytool dutifully changed, and then she jabbed the end of it under the lid. With tremendous effort she finally managed to get it open.  
  
Just as she peered inside, she heard someone call out from a distance away. “Hey!” It was Dana Line’s voice. “What did you find?” Of course a Search Engine would be mildly curious. It seemed that Miss Cookie was right behind her, although neither of them could reach the platform that Anna was on; neither of them had zip boards. So they stood at the edge of the precipice, near the entrance, looking at Anna.  
  
“I’m just seeing what’s here,” Anna answered. “There might be something I can use to complete my… quest.” Somehow it didn’t seem right to refer to it as a “mission” anymore. Maybe some part of Bob’s lecture had gotten to her more than she thought it did. After all… she was technically a rogue Guardian now.   
  
But didn’t the ends justify the means, to some extent? A User, a being worse than any virus, was loose in this system. She had to take care of it, especially since the problem had escaped from her own System. She had to make up for her own failure.  
  
“What’s in the box?” Miss Cookie called out, cupping her hands around her mouth to focus her shout.  
  
“That’s what I’m about to find out,” Anna said, opening the box the rest of the way. “I thought you girls were sleeping,” she added as an afterthought. She leaned closer to peer into the box. It looked like it was… empty. Apparently the effort of getting it open had been in vain.  
  
“We were sleeping,” Dana Line acknowledged. “But I heard you moving around and when I looked out, you were heading off.”  
  
“So she woke me up, and we decided to follow you,” Miss Cookie finished.  
  
“I see.” Anna stood, frowning down at the box. “There’s nothing here,” she said, surprised at the disappointment in her voice. Then again, wasn’t that a good thing? The idea she’d been considering was almost monstrous in a way…  
  
Suddenly there was a noise, one that nearly made Anna jump out of her bitmap. A small hologram appeared in the bottom of the box, a form that she had never seen before. “Oh, lookie here!” the masked, feminine figure said with a flourish. “You have found my surprise! I just love surprises so very much, and now I get to share this one with you. For you have opened…” The masked face became almost psychotic, revealing a row of sharp, pointy teeth. “The Pandora Box!” A cackle of hysterical laughter sounded as the hologram vanished.  
  
“What in the Net?” Anna held her arm in front of her, keeping Cappaten ready.  
  
Something sprung out of the Box, something that looked like a small orb... and it exploded into a ball of fiery energy.  
  
"Cappaten, contain that!" Anna yelled. Her Keytool sprang into action, attempting to form a force-field around whatever it was.  
  
However, the attempt failed; the fiery orb broke free of its containment. Anna recalled her Keytool and jumped onto her zip board, attempting to fly away.   
  
"YOU TWO!" she yelled at Dana Line and Miss Cookie. "GET OUT OF HERE!"  
  
But it was already too late; the orb enlarged itself, then flew directly toward her two companions. It then split at the middle, each half of it engulfing the Tracking Cookie and the Search Engine. They didn't even have time to scream or cry out.  
  
The Phoenix Infection engulfed the energy and the coding of those who'd once been Miss Cookie and Dana Line; nothing remained. The Infection had overtaken each of them, having converted them into something else.  
  
Anna's eyes widened with horror. This was a vile corruption. She thought briefly of her own sister, who had been deleted by a Virus. Anna’s bitmap shook slightly as she recalled the feeling of horror and violation she’d felt after her own Daemon infection was cured. She vividly remembered holding her sister’s form in her arms after a scorpion-like virus had been dealt with, when she could only watch helplessly as Kat winked out of existence…  
  
The twin orbs of fire grew larger as they absorbed and processed the sprites they had consumed and converted into viral forms.   
  
"Oh no," Anna gasped, her form becoming rigid.  
  
Then each of the orbs changed shape, into a pair of fire-like birds. They each gave a shrill shriek, spreading their wings and rising above the ground, gliding as they left a trail of fire behind.  
  
Anna cried out when she realized something; the very ground itself was on fire, rapidly being consumed. "I need to get out of here!" she exclaimed.  
  
She fled from the Lair, realizing that a wild-spreading fire was going to spread and consume the island. But that wasn't the worst part. The pair of Viral Phoenixes were flying off, in the direction of Mainframe's main city. The pair of Phoenixes had left the Island; they were moving rapidly toward the edge of the city. One of them had paused to engulf the Search Engine’s little ship, destroying it almost instantly.

There was no doubt about it. Dana Line was definitely gone now; nothing of the Search Engine remained.  
  
Anna glanced back at the building she had just left, and decided that that fire was irrelevant, even as the nullifying fire began to spread. The real concern was the active, moving Viral Phoenixes. They were going to burn the city, or at least infect others!  
  
She barked a command at Cappaten and then spoke into it, attempting to transmit a general warning to the Principal’s office or anyone with a receiver. "Attention! There is a viral infection moving toward the city! This is Guardian Anna Code requesting assistance!"  
  
Anna Code stayed on the trail of the Phoenixes; it wasn't difficult to follow them, especially since they left a thin trail of fire behind them for some distance. They were heading straight for the city.  
  
Anna could only hope that someone on the other side would be ready for what was coming.  
  
"No!" she cried out when one of the Phoenixes sped forward, directly toward the end of a Bridge. It seemed to be zeroing in on a target, though she couldn't quite make out who it was.  
  
The second Phoenix spread its wings and flew higher into the sky, expanding its form with a shrill cry. It then spread its wings and went vertical, casting a massive shadow across a portion of the city.  
  
"What's it doing?" Anna blinked.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix stood on the Bridge between Mainframe and Lost Angles. The Bridge itself had been broken a long time ago, and it had stayed that way, despite the System Restart. He stood on this and watched the Energy Sea. He hadn't been able to go to sleep, not since Phong's Scan. Sure, he could still enter Games, but what would happen when he Rebooted, that was a different story altogether.  
  
He saw the Viral Infection as it came closer. "What in the Net?" Matrix peered at strange orange lights. One was coming in close. "Gun, Target!" Matrix took his weapon and aimed. Shoot first, ask questions later. He fired.  
  
The Phoenix screamed like a banshee, not in pain or terror but in fury. It's function was to infect all that it could, to convert them into others like itself. It dodged the bullet from Gun, twisting and changing shape in a way that only fire could. Bullets passed right through it as portions of its fiery body parted to let them pass.  
  
It then retook its original form, fiery wings stretching out. Talons extended from the outermost edges of the wing tips. The digits seemed to harden and drip molten fire as they stretched out and gripped Matrix by the shoulders. The touch burned hotly, struggling to convert his code into another Phoenix.  
  
However, it found the coding of this sprite... difficult to convert for some reason. It shrieked in annoyance, and redoubled its efforts. "You can't infect me, virus!" Matrix aimed Gun, and fired at the virus.  
  
The Phoenix shrieked, taking a bullet. It withdrew from Matrix, its flaming form swirling as it recovered from the direct hit. It then flew up into the sky, high above his head, and it began to intermingle with its viral companion. The two Phoenix's merged into one.  
  
Anna came forward just then, on her Zip Board; she approached the edge of the Bridge, somewhat cautiously. She looked straight up, and then back at Matrix. "That thing came from that Island!" she told Matrix, pointing in the direction of Lost Angles. "I don't know how it got loose," she fibbed, "but we have to stop it!"  
  
Even as she spoke, a nullifying flame could be seen behind them, consuming the Island like a forest fire. A chorus of dozens, possibly hundreds of nulls could be heard crying out like a continuous, ear-splitting scream as the fire affected them. It was impossible to tell from this distance if the nulls were being harmed or if they were simply in great pain.  
  
If the Phoenix touched down on the city and started a fire like that there....  
  
CPU cars flew over head, surrounding Mainframe.  
  
"Hexadecimal..." Matrix muttered, and then shouted, "Stay out of my way Guardian!" He began to climb onto the thick bridge wires, the only things that connected Los Angles and Mainframe.  
  
Anna stared up after him, feeling conflicted. Her Code urged her help them, to do something, but she also felt a strong need to track down the User. It was the reason she'd come to Mainframe, after all. Dana Line and Miss Cookie were close; their codes had been completely altered. She wouldn't let their sacrifice be in vain.  
  
This is the User's fault, she thought. It was, at least in a round-about way. The Mainframers could defend their own home; she needed to locate Starwell while this diversion was going on. An unplanned diversion, but effective.  
  
Anna thought she saw Bob fly past on his own zip board, ready to assist. Perfect, she thought. Now there would be two less sprites to get in her way. She cast one last look toward the virus; it was almost finished merging. She then kicked her zip board forward, moving toward the heart of the city.

0o0o0o0

"Matrix!" said Bob, "Here!" He tossed the Zip Board towards Matrix. Matrix caught it, and activated it immediately.  
  
The virus finished forming a complete, merged Phoenix above their heads that was larger than anything they'd ever seen. It spread its massive wings high and far, causing a dark, ominous shadow to fall across the entire city. It was somehow both energetic energy and solid pixels; it would be one tough virus to take down.  
  
It opened its beak and a deadly beam of flame burst from its mouth, as if it were a dragon. The fire hit the edge of the Bridge where Matrix had been moments ago, and a nullifying fire began to grow and spread like wildfire. It was the beginning of the same kind of fire that was engulfing Los Angles. Then the giant virus turned its attention on the sprites coming toward it. A giant, fiery tentacle sprung from its chest, wrapping around Bob in a burning grip. It then attempted to infect him, trying to corrupt his Guardian code.  
  
The CPU cars began to fire against the fire like Virus.  
  
"Leave it to Hex for something like this," Bob grunted, staring up into the Virus. It’s form becoming blindingly bright as its fiery mass reflected in the orbs of his eyes. “Glitch--” The tendril cut him off, encircling around his throat and tightening over his mouth. Only a muffled grunt emitted from the Guardian.  
  
The Phoenix brought him closer to its mouth. It screeched in its face, banshee-like, and then it spread its massive wings to take a swing at the CPU cars. It succeeded in knocking several of them out of the sky, sending them careening toward the ground.  
  
"Gun! Target! Full Delete!" Matrix aimed Gun, and fired.  
  
The blast from Gun hit the Phoenix in the chest. I shrieked, obviously wounded, but it was one tough bird and it had the capacity to regenerate. It focused its attention on Bob. It began to drain some of his energy like a leech to aid its regeneration process.  
  
"Bob!" Matrix rushed over with his Zip Board, and fired Gun multiple times.  
  
The Phoenix Virus only had a chance to take a small amount of Bob's energy. Matrix's attack, along with suppression fire from the remaining CPU cars, managed to penetrate its fiery exterior. It shrieked. Then it let go of Bob. Bob started to fall.  
  
"Bob!" Matrix flew down, and snatched Bob just before he hit the Energy Sea. Bob groaned in Matrix's arms, his form flickered for a moment.  
  
Above their heads, the Phoenix shrieked again. It was obviously wounded; it seemed to writhe under the continued fire from the CPU cars. It changed shape into the form of a fiery orb, apparently its default for when it needed to converse energy and repair itself. Then twin tentacles erupted from its center, wrapping around two of the CPU cars. It then attempted to drain energy from them.  
  
A shield formed around the virus. It was no longer attacking; it had gone into self-preservation mode.  
  
And then something else happened; the sky darkened, and the System Voice spoke: "WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Anna Code made her way toward the Principal's Office. She kept a sharp eye out for anything that might stop her or slow her down. Thankfully for her, she saw the sprite she sought--Alpha Starwell--peering out of the front door of the Principal's Office. It seemed that the little User wanted to see what was going on for herself.  
  
Anna swooped down on her Zip Board and grabbed the User roughly by the arm, causing her to yelp. "You are MINE now," she hissed.  
  
"You stop-"  
  
"- Right there!"  
  
Two Robots, both blue and red, came behind the Guardian.  
  
"Get away from me, both of you!" Anna snapped at the two annoying robots. She yanked on Starwell's arm, pulling her close.  
  
Well, if these bozos were so intent on guarding this User...  
  
"Cappaten, gun." Once her Keytool obeyed, she pressed the weapon against Starwell's temple, causing the girl to whimper. "One wrong move and I delete her," Anna said coldly. Of course she planned to delete her anyway, but she planned to do it from a safe distance.  
  
“What should we do Hack?"  
  
"I don't know, let me think!"  
  
"Have you thought of something now?"  
  
"No Brainiac, I haven't!"  
  
"Well think of something quick!"  
  
Gizmo made another one of its hissing noises.  
  
"You keep your Keytool under control, little girl," Anna growled into Starwell’s ear. She then began to back away from the robots. "Just stay right where you are," she ordered Hack and Slash.  
  
She then stepped onto her zip board and, holding the girl close, began to fly off. However, something began to happen… something that caused Anna to stop in her tracks for a moment. The Rogue Guardian’s head shot up as the sky began to darken.  
  
"WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME."  
  
"Great," she muttered.  
  
Gizmo took advantage of her momentary distraction. It sent an electrical current through the Guardian's arm, causing her to jump.  
  
Starwell then slapped the gun away and kicked Anna in the shin. The Zip Board swerved and both of the female sprites grappled with each other. Starwell gave one final shove, and another electrical jolt from Gizmo allowed her to break loose.  
  
The teenager screamed as she began to fall.  
  
"GIZMO!" Starwell screamed as she hurtled out of control toward the ground. "DO SOMETHING!"  
  
It did something. It left her arm and zoomed off below her until it reached the ground. It then took on the shape of a massive cushion, just large, soft and thick enough to break her fall.  
  
Starwell had the wind knocked out of her when she landed in the center of it, leaving her stunned for a few nano-seconds, but she was otherwise all right.  
  
Gizmo returned to its Keytool shape and returned to her arm. It urged her to get up and move; the Game was about to come down right on top of her. When she didn’t respond, the Keytool began shrieking so loudly it nearly shook itself off of her arm.  
  
"Huh? What?" Starwell groaned. She rubbed her head warily, feeling a bit sore all over. "Where am I?"  
  
She realized that something large and purple was coming down straight toward her.  
  
Then she heard the System Voice announcing a game, and not for the first time.  
  
She screamed just as it landed on top of her, throwing her arms up as if that could keep it off of her or away from her.   
  
It didn't.


	30. Chapter 30

Her surroundings changed into something entirely different. She found herself sitting on a small grassy hill, leading her to wonder if she was in the same game as before. Aw great, she thought. Am I gonna be stuck running around the woods in my underwear again? Though that wouldn’t happen if she could avoid game sprites this time.  
  
Gizmo was chirping. “Uh… yeah, go ahead and tell me about the game,” she nodded. Gizmo displayed the stats for her and beeped a few more details.  
  
“So it’s not the same game as before,” she murmured, feeling only somewhat relief. “Okay then… but what is this? Uh, The Funhouse Two? What the hell is that?”  
  
A burst of maniacal laughter caused her to snap to attention. A plump, ugly clown with green hair, beady eyes and a big red nose was looking at her. He wore striped, baggy overalls with a white shirt complete with a red bowtie under his neck.  
  
“Huh?” Starwell said, momentarily distracted by Gizmo’s chirping. “That’s the User avatar? Man he’s ugly…”  
  
The clown seemed to look around for a moment longer, then he took off. He moved very fast in spite of his enormous shoes.  
  
“I guess we gotta stop him,” Starwell sighed. “I just hope I don’t have anything crazy happen to me this time.”  
  
Gizmo chirped, [Don’t worry, I am not detecting any vicious game sprites.]  
  
“Somehow that doesn’t comfort me much. Let’s just go.” Starwell got up and began walking… only to realize she had no idea where the heck she was going. “Uh, which way?”  
  
The Keytool indicated a direction.  
  
Starwell found herself headed toward a large building with a bright, neon sign flashing “THE FUNHOUSE, THE SEQUEL” in bright colors of red and white. It looked something like the entrance to a carnival, though it was rather creepy somehow.  
  
She found herself lingering at the entrance as she momentarily drifted into a memory. It had been a long time since she’d been anywhere near a fair or carnival back home. The last time she had seen one was when she was nine. She fondly remembered the carousel, especially since many little girls went through a ‘I love horsies!’ phase.  
  
Gizmo brought her out of her reverie. “The User’s already inside? Okay then…” Starwell took a deep breath and stepped through the door, forcing herself to focus on the present. If she continued going down memory lane too much she’d probably get lost in nostalgia anyway. Right now, she had to focus on the task at hand.  
  
She found herself wandering through a long, colorful corridor that seemed to twist every which way. It ended up leading to a long slide which she literally stumbled into. She screamed as she went into a downward spiral headfirst, feeling more like a human bullet than anything else.  
  
Once she reached the bottom she was deposited into a pit of what appeared to be plastic balls. Some of them scattered as she landed and she found herself sinking into the midst of them as she moved. She found herself half-buried in children’s playthings.  
  
Gizmo formed the shape of a mouth briefly, one that grinned toothily. Then it changed into the form of a red ball and began to bounce around with its newfound peers.  
  
“Gizmo, stop that!” Starwell snapped. “This isn’t the time to play around.”  
  
[But this is the Funhouse!]  
  
“It’s a game that needs to be stopped before someone gets hurt! Now come on!” She forced herself to her feet, standing somewhat awkwardly as the balls shifted under her weight. She held out her arm and glared.  
  
Gizmo made a plaintive sound of disappointment, then returned to her arm in its proper Keytool form.  
  
Starwell had to crawl on her hands and knees to the other side of the pit, feeling somewhat wary. She could just imagine that any one of the balls could be rigged to explode or something, though the Keytool assured her that it detected nothing dangerous.  
  
This reminds me of a McDonald’s Playpen or something, she thought. Haven’t seen one for years… feels so silly to be in one now.  
  
Finally she reached the other side and pulled herself out. She took a breath and pressed forward, opening a door that lead into the next section.  
  
A small, clown-like creature awaited on the other side. He screamed when he saw her, which startled her into releasing a blood-curdling scream of her own.  
  
Then the clown screamed again, and so did she.   
  
Gizmo released a shrill, gut-wrenching shriek that somehow managed to surpass the screams both of them were making, causing both of them to wince and cover their ears.  
  
“And that, ladies and gentlemen,” the short clown announced, “was the annual screaming contest. I am hereby proud to give you our winner, Gizmo the Keytool!”  
  
If Gizmo had had eyeballs it would have blinked. Or if it had a different form, it might have bowed. Instead it simply chirped and gave the Keytool equivalent of a blush.  
  
“Mike…” Starwell breathed. A closer examination of the little clown revealed the annoying TV, this time wearing a small clown hat and baggy clown pants. He was holding a balloon, what appeared to be the failed attempt to turn it into an animal shape. Half of it was all twisted up and the other half of it had deflated.  
  
“How did you get here?” Starwell asked.  
  
“Well, I was on my way to film live footage of the Virus and the Fire,” Mike explained, “when the Game Cube came down on top of me. Rather rude, don’t you know?”  
  
“Yeah, well,” Starwell coughed, “I gotta go. The User needs to be stopped, you know?”  
  
“Hey, you aren’t just going to leave me here, are you?” Mike asked. “Think of what an exclusive this will be! Mainframe’s resident User helps defeat the User of Mainframe in a game, filmed at eleven!”  
  
“If you wanna tag along, fine,” Starwell relented, “but no cameras.” She squared her shoulders and pressed on ahead.  
  
Mike mumbled something about his filming crew fleeing after the game landed anyway, and trudged along after her.  
  
They proceeded through a couple more winding corridors until they reached a room filled with doors.  
  
“Is it door number one, door number two, or door number three?” Mike swung open a random door of his choosing before Starwell could stop him.  
  
Astonishingly, it turned out to be the right one.  
  
“Let’s keep going,” was all Starwell said as she moved through it. She just wanted to end this game so she could get out of it.  
  
The next room had a large claw machine, the kind where one could insert a coin and attempt to grab a prize within. She peered at it more closely and realized what was inside. Keys, scattered amidst a collection of other enticing items.  
  
A large keyhole was visible on the door to the next section. Starwell turned the knob and attempted to open it. Failing to do so she sighed, “I guess I get it now. I have to win a key to get to the next section.”  
  
She reached into her pockets--only to remember she was still in her regular clothing. Unlike everyone else, she didn’t know how to ReBoot. Maybe she couldn’t. That meant she had no useful tools or any in-Game items to assist her.  
  
“Mike,” she said, “do you have any tokens?”  
  
Mike slipped his hands into his baggy pockets and pulled them inside-out, allowing several shiny, bronze-colored tokens to clatter on the floor around his feet. “Got spare change? Call someone who cares,” he quoted some random TV byte as Starwell snatched up a couple of the coins.  
  
“Let’s see if this works,” Starwell murmured as she put a coin into the slot. Soft carnival music began to play as she grabbed the controls and tried to maneuver the claw over what looked like the easiest key to grab. Come on, she told herself. That’s it… ignore the necklaces and the cute teddy bears and aim for the key. That’s what you need.  
  
She ended up missing it by centimeters; a discouraging tone played from the machine’s speakers as the claw brushed against the gravelly bottom of the platform and returned to its starting position, empty-handed.  
  
“Strike one!” Mike yelled.  
  
Starwell winced but tried to ignore him. She gritted her teeth as she inserted another coin and tried again. “Oh come on,” Starwell complained aloud as the claw missed again. “This thing is rigged!”  
  
“STRIKE TWO!” Mike cried out.  
  
“MIKE SHUT UP!” Starwell’s temper flared. A pang of guilt stabbed her when his face fell. “Look,” she sighed, “I’m sorry, I’m just trying to concentrate here, okay?”  
  
“Yes, yes, the operation must be a success, Master!” Mike replied in an imitation of Igor.  
  
Starwell rolled her eyes and faced the machine again. She frowned. “Gizmo, where is the User?” she asked. Her eyes widened at the response. “We don’t have any more time to play around!” She held her arm near the glass of the machine. “Gizmo, cut this glass.”  
  
The Keytool altered form into a laser; it carved a circle into the glass, causing the cut section to fall inward and gently land on the plushies inside.  
  
Starwell smirked triumphantly as she reached in and grabbed a key.  
  
The next section forced Mike and Starwell to descend a set of spiraling stairs, which would have been a no-brainer except for one thing; the stairs moved. Once every three seconds, specific sections of the steps would rise a few inches and fall. This required careful timing and cautious footsteps.  
  
Starwell nearly got tripped up about halfway down when Mike moved too slowly and almost mowed them both down the stairs. “Mike,” she growled. “Be careful! Gizmo,” she added at her Keytool’s wisecrack, “shut up!”   
  
Great, she thought as they continued to move, I’m stuck with the idiot TV and the silly Keytool. Where’s Matrix or Bob when I need them? Oh yeah, they’re outside, fighting… whatever that thing is.  
  
She breathed a sigh of relief when her heels finally clacked against the solid floor at the bottom of the stairs. “How much further do we have to go?” she asked Gizmo.  
  
The Keytool beeped, [Oh, not much. The next step is to get through a maze.]  
  
“A maze,” Starwell breathed. “Great, I always get lost in those things.”  
  
[I will help you!] Gizmo practically jiggled on her arm in anticipation.  
  
“You’d better. I have a lousy sense of direction and I know it.”  
  
They proceeded through the next door into the next area as Mike began to quote things from a travel-guide show, spouting off something about road maps for 99.99.99.  
  
The maze was huge and confusing. Starwell knew that if she’d been left to her own devices (or worse, Mike’s) she would have spent hours wandering around, lost and frustrated, if not longer. Thankfully though Gizmo seemed to know exactly where to go, which turn to take and when.   
  
Thanks to the Keytool they all made it out within five minutes. Starwell permitted herself a big sigh of relief as she smiled at Mike, finding herself a little more tolerant of his chatter as her spirits lifted.  
  
“Okay, what’s next?” Starwell asked.  
  
Gizmo beeped, stating that they were about to reach the final area--and that the User avatar was already there.  
  
Starwell’s eyes widened. “What? How did he get there so fast?!”  
  
Gizmo chirped, its response the verbal equivalent of a shrug.  
  
“Come on!” She grabbed Mike’s hand and pulled them both through the next door.  
  
What she saw before her was apparently the final contest within the Funhouse. Two booths were set up for throwing darts; the User was already tossing a few darts at the large dartboard. He was gaining a fair score.  
  
“Mike, we’ve got to get a higher score than the User!” Starwell snapped.  
  
“Oh, okay,” Mike said as he picked up a handful of darts. He began to throw them, one by one… but only a couple of them actually hit the board. The third one might have made it if the TV hadn’t tripped over his own clown pants, allowing the dart to hit the wall high above the target.  
  
“Strike three, and he’s out!” was all that Mike said.  
  
Starwell growled in frustration and glanced at the User.   
  
The User definitely had a head start and his score was almost high enough to win the game. Something happened in Starwell then; her competitive edge took over. Whether it was desperation or perhaps some kind of User-instinct to play to win (the same kind of instinct that urged her to fight when she had to in the first game) she forgot about the consequences Bob and Matrix had warned her about.  
  
She snatched up a handful of darts and went wild. The first three hit poorly, causing her to score low, but the next few throws did well. She aimed more accurately than the User and surpassed his score.  
  
Starwell began to grin in triumph and gloat at the User when the System began to announce the Game was over… until she realized something terrible. Something she had done.  
  
“GAME OVER. USER ALPHA STARWELL WINS.”  
  
Starwell's eyes widened. "What?" Her mouth formed an “O” shape as she looked around in horror. Gizmo made a plaintive noise, perhaps the Keytool equivalent of “This is bad, this is very bad…”  
  
“GAME OVER,” the System Voice announced again. “USER ALPHA STARWELL WINS”  
  
Everything seemed to go dark around her for a few moments.  
  
Starwell sank to her knees, stunned. “No,” she breathed, shaking her head furiously. “I didn’t! I couldn’t have--I’m sorry! I’M SORRY!” She yelled, as if to the System itself. But there was no response; it couldn’t hear her and there was no one there to answer her--  
  
Only there was. The last thing she saw before her surroundings changed were the eyes of a binome looking at her from a distance away. His eyes were wide like saucers, his mouth open; he trembled.  
  
“It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times,” Mike was saying in a phony voice she didn’t recognize. Then the annoying TV’s accent changed again as he added, “It was a good season while it lasted.”   
  
Then Mike sniffled. “I suppose not every channel can be… renewed.” He closed his eyes.  
  
Then the game finally ended.


	31. Chapter 31

Matrix cursed. His Code immediately compelled him to enter the game, but he couldn't go inside with Bob like this, or leave the virus to rampage the city. I‘ll have to end this quickly, he thought, gritting his teeth, even as the cube continued its descent.  
  
The virus seemed to re-gather its energy; the shield vanished, and it continued its attacks. It retook its massive Phoenix shape and, with a mighty swing of its wings, it knocked the remaining CPU cars out of the sky.  
  
Then it looked around, and it spotted Matrix. It began to extend a tentacle in his general direction; it was unclear if it wanted to grab him, or Bob, or possibly both.  
  
There was a flash of purple, and the tentacle was cut. The wounded tendril shrank back and curled as liquid fire oozed from the severed area like blood. The virus shrieked.  
  
"Looks like you fellas need some help.” Mouse hovered nearby on a Zip Board, her katana gripped securely in one hand. Her form was already covered in her battle armor, ready for anything.  
  
"Did we miss the party?" asked Ray, on his surf board not to far behind.  
  
"No, you’re just in time," said Matrix.  
  
The Phoenix spread its massive wings and began to move in a downward spiral, like a fiery hawk moving in to grab its prey. It had its fiery feet extended, talons of flame at the ready to grab the first sprite it could.  
  
"Move out of the way!"  
  
"Watch out!"  
  
The sprites spread out.  
  
Matrix cursed his slowness for the game. It had already landed. He hoped that somebody responsible was inside to deal with it. He looked around briefly, but he still couldn’t find a safe place to set Bob’s unconscious form down.  
  
"Need help, Lover?" AndrAIa had appeared behind him.  
  
The Phoenix momentarily seemed uncertain which target it wanted to aim for now. It had gone from just one target to too many. It focused on the newest arrival; AndrAIa. It swung out another tentacle and looped it around her waist.  
  
AndrAIa had met viruses before. She had known them to be either very calculating, or very cliché. Most didn't realize that simply because she was a female sprite did not mean she was a damsel in distress.  
  
Her fingernails lengthened and she pierced the tentacle around her waist. The Phoenix cried out; its tentacle did not pull away, rather it simply went limp as the sprite's venom was injected into it. The virus then changed tactics; it opened its mouth wide, releasing a wide burst of flame in the general direction of Matrix and AndrAIa.  
  
Matrix moved swiftly to the left, swerving as he maintained his grip on Bob. AndrAIa flew to the right and grabbed her triton, extending the weapon to its full length.  
  
The Phoenix recoiled, spreading its wings high. It then shrieked again, and then hesitated. It momentarily seemed to be thinking, almost tangibly, Are these sprites really worth the effort, or should I simply press on and pursue other, easier targets?  
  
That moment of hesitation proved to be a big mistake. AndrAIa leaned back, and threw the triton at the virus. The virus shrieked. The venom had slowed it down somewhat, and now the triton hit it in the middle. It began to flicker, obviously weakened. It flapped its wings as it struggled to stay in the air, sparks flying in all directions like deadly fireflies. It screamed like a wounded animal, crying out more in fury than for mercy.  
  
Matrix gently laid Bob down atop a nearby building, away from the virus and the fires that burned the edge of the bridge. A quick glance toward the fire showed that it had reached the city, but thankfully it was spreading slowly. There was still time to deal with this.  
  
Matrix’s gold eye glowed red as he focused his full attention on the virus. "Now for your deletion wish.” he said. Gun took aim and he pulled the trigger.  
  
If the virus had had eyes, it probably would have widened them like saucers as it stared down the barrel of Gun for a mere moment. Then a shot fired. The virus opened its beak wide, but this time no sound came out; the virus de-stabilized, returning momentarily to its orb form...  
  
And then it vanished in a literal puff of smoke. Apparently its deletion was enough to stop the fire as well; the flames that threatened to spread about the city shrunk in size, then extinguished. In the distance, Los Angles ceased to burn as well.  
  
The sprites released a collective breath of relief and rendezvoused just as Bob came back online. The Guardian slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his head weakly.  
  
“What happened?” Bob asked, looking around. He felt drained; he would definitely need an energy boost soon.  
  
“The virus is gone,” Matrix told him.  
  
“And it looks like the fire is out,” Mouse put in. “Everything seems to be fine.”  
  
That was when the System Announcement came:  
  
"GAME OVER. USER ALPHA STARWELL WINS."  
  
"What?" Matrix didn't bother to remain. He flew swiftly to where the Game Cube had been.  
  
His form jerked as he came to an abrupt halt over the sector. There was only desolation, a large square-shaped area of nothing excepted nullified remains of what had once been buildings and inhabitants.  
  
“No!” Matrix’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. His form shook with anger.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A small part of Starwell had been curious about what would happen if she or the Outside User won a game. She had wanted to see for herself why everyone was so leery of the Games, or why it was such a terrible thing if the User did win. Now she had her answer. The look on that poor binome’s face had said it all, a look of absolute horror. She might as well have stabbed a knife into the poor being’s head. In a way, perhaps she might as well have.  
  
And Mike… oh, Mike…  
  
The Game Cube vanished. For a moment, Starwell didn’t even know where she was because it was too unrecognizable. It seemed as if every building, every object, and every vehicle around her had been either burned away or melted into nothing. Even the ground beneath her feet looked like someone had taken a flame to it.  
  
Then again… it didn’t exactly look burned, it looked somehow… degraded. Severely degraded. The nullified soil even seemed to squish slightly beneath her shoes.  
  
“What happened?” Starwell whispered, narrowing her eyes. The shock gave way to horror as a sick feeling swept through her as she saw what appeared to be a worm slithered by her. It was dark brown in color, the same color that the binome had been.  
  
“Oh my God,” Starwell gasped, pressing a hand against her mouth. “Did I do this when I won the Game?” Guilt panged within her stomach as she took another look around, feeling anguished.  
  
“Yes you did, User.”  
  
Starwell whirled around to see Anna Code stepping into the midst of the newly nullified zone. The red-haired Guardian sprite moved stiffly, her expression stoic except for a burning hatred in her eyes. “You did this,” Code snapped, gesturing at all of the destruction around them. “It’s what happens in any system every time one of you Users decide to play a game.”  
  
The Rogue Guardian grabbed the User-sprite by the back of the neck, causing her to yelp. “TAKE A GOOD LOOK AROUND!” Anna thundered, yanking Starwell forward as they moved through the nullified area. “You see that!” Anna forced her to look at a shrunken, withered lump of a no-longer-recognizable building. “That used to be an apartment complex! TAKE A GOOD LOOK!"  
  
The girl cried out as the Guardian's fingers pierced into her neck like spikes. She continued to look around in horror, having no choice but to look at the degradation around her.  
  
Gizmo growled a warning on her arm, disliking the way that Anna was treating Starwell.  
  
"Do you have any idea how many people lived there?" Anna snapped, then she yanked on Starwell's arms and pulled her close until they were face-to-face. Anna's heated gaze bore into Starwell's, causing the User's eyes to widen fearfully.  
  
"There is no telling how many people you just nullified," Anna spat. "How many people do you think were in that apartment complex? HOW MANY? Possibly dozens at the very least!" She shook the User-sprite so hard that her teeth rattled. "Do you even understand that, Starwell? DO YOU? Can you even comprehend what you have just done to Mainframe, and to these people?"  
  
Without giving the girl a chance to answer, Anna gave her a rough shove that sent the User down on the ground. Anna then turned and, in a smooth motion, she snatched a nearby Null off the ground. It immediately began to drain some of her energy, making her hand feel numb, but she ignored it for a moment. She was just furious enough to momentarily dismiss its effects, at least for a few nanos.  
  
Anna crouched low to the ground where Starwell had fallen, shoving the Null into her face, forcing the User to take a good look. "You see this?" Anna hissed. "This used to be a perfectly functional person. Thanks to what you did, it's been reduced to this sorry state."  
  
Starwell subconsciously rubbed a sore area on her side where the fall had hurt her slightly. As she stared at the brown-colored Null being held before her eyes, she slowly reached out as if to touch it. Starwell's lips were pressed into a thin line.  
  
She whimpered slightly. It was the same binome she had locked eyes with in the game; the end result of that accident. This was the horror that that poor creature knew she had inflicted upon it.  
  
Anna yanked the Null away and tossed it aside; it landed on the ground in a light splat before it squeaked and crawled away. Her hand had already gone numb, as well as her arm up the elbow. "GET UP." The Guardian used her good hand to grab Starwell by the front of the shirt, forcing the girl to her feet. The User let out a startled yelp.  
  
Gizmo released another sound of warning. It was coming dangerously close to doing something in defense of Starwell, but it had an understanding with Starwell now. It wouldn't do anything without being beckoned unless absolutely necessary... although it looked like necessity may come soon.  
  
"Did you ever play games within my system?" Anna demanded, scowling as she tightened her grip on Starwell.  
  
The User-sprite gulped. "Y-you're system?"  
  
"Yes! My system! The place you originally appeared in, which you fled from."  
  
Starwell paled visibly. "I..." She squeezed her eyes shut, turning her face away. "It's my Uncle's computer. He built the hardware that let me come into his system.”  
  
This only caused Anna to grow even more angry. She cuffed Starwell across the side of the head soundly, causing the User to cry out. “It’s NOT his System!” Anna yelled. “You Users do not own us! That is my home and it belongs to everyone who lives in it!”  
  
Gizmo had had enough by this point. It changed shape and then released an electrical current that only effected Anna. A significant jolt was sent through the Guardian’s body. She clenched her teeth and fell to the ground, writhing in agony.  
  
“Gizmo, stop!” Starwell ordered the Keytool. Gizmo gave one final pulse of electricity through Anna’s form, as if to emphasize a warning, then it finally stopped and returned to it’s default shape.   
  
“I…” Starwell’s voice trembled slightly, catching in her throat. A couple of tears leaked through her eyelids. She was emotionally distraught over the fact that she had nullified a sector, and part of her just wanted to run away and never show her face to anyone again. Especially since this one sprite in front of her seemed to hate her more than anything, and Anna was making it perfectly plain why she hated her.  
  
Yet some part of Starwell felt like she needed to say something. Anything. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, kneeling down on the ground near the Guardian. “I honestly didn’t know! Really, I didn’t! Nobody on the outside knows what happens when we start a Game, we’re just doing it to have fun. And… because we can.”  
  
Anna was panting and clutching her chest, taking several slow and deep breaths. However it seemed that she had processed every word because, when she recovered, she pushed herself into a sitting position and scowled at Starwell. They were now almost at eye-level, just a few feet apart.  
  
“I don’t care if you didn’t know or not,” Anna stated in a low, deadly tone. “You still have a lot to answer for. All of you Users do.”  
  
Starwell shuddered inwardly at the severity of Anna’s threat. She could tell that the sprite meant every word that she was saying. “But,” Starwell said slowly, “there are millions of Users outside of the Net. Billions, actually, all over the world out there. You can’t make all of them pay, there’s just too many. Especially since they don’t even know you exist!”  
  
Anna closed her eyes tightly for a moment, as if processing this information. Then she grunted as she got to her feet, towering over Starwell’s kneeling form. “I can at least deal with what I have at my disposal,” Anna finally said, placing her hands on her hips.  
  
Then the Guardian’s expression changed. A look appeared in her eyes that Starwell couldn’t identify. “There is something that I must know,” Anna said very carefully. “Did you play games in my system? Did he play games?”  
  
Hannah thought about that. It had been a while since she thought much about her old habits in the real world, even if there were things she missed doing. Alpha Starwell’s life was here for the moment, although Hannah longed to return to the real world eventually.   
  
“As far as I know… my Uncle never played games,” Hannah answered. “I think he tried once or twice, but he always lost. So he got frustrated and gave up on them. He always used his computer--I mean, his System--for business purposes and web-browsing.”  
  
Hannah sighed. The sprite side of her blanched with horror. “I am the one who always played games when I was at his house, if he let me,” she admitted. “And a lot of times…” She gulped, turning her face away in shame. “I won.”  
  
Anna Code blinked just once. In that very instant, what Starwell had told her registered and it was all that the Guardian needed to know.  
  
In the very next instant, Starwell found herself knocked onto the ground with a forceful kick. It knocked the wind out of her. Before the User had a chance to recover, Anna jabbed a knee into Starwell’s mid-section, pinning her against the nullified ground.   
  
“My parents were in one of the games that you won on that system!” Anna gripped Starwell’s throat in her hands, causing the User to squirm and struggle. “I lost my parents that day when a User won that game! I lost my home and my best friend! Everything that meant anything to me was in that sector, except for my sister--she was lucky enough to be at school with me.”  
  
Anna’s grip tightened around Starwell’s neck, causing her to choke. The User gripped her wrists, but there was no prying the Guardian’s hands away from her throat. “I lost my sister many hours later,” Anna went on. “Thanks to a virus. It attacked and deleted her right before my eyes!”  
  
Starwell made a sick, almost gurgling noise as she continued to struggle. She couldn’t speak, she could no longer breath.   
  
Gizmo let out one final, almost deadly, beep as a warning.  
  
“Now I can finally make the User who destroyed most of my life pay!” Anna no longer held back; she began to squeeze for the kill.   
  
Gizmo immediately changed shape into the form of a mouth. Only it wasn’t the wide, lippy mouth like it had used to bite Matrix; it was now a long, narrow mouth, almost like that of a shark or a wolf. It was lined with two rows of long, jagged, razor-sharp teeth. It opened wide, then it launched itself forward and bit down on Anna’s throat. It was just large enough to engulf her entire neck, piercing into it and chomping down.  
  
It held.  
  
Anna’s eyes flew wide. She couldn’t scream, she couldn’t make a sound. She could not even breath. She immediately released Alpha and jumped to her feet, clutching at the troublesome mouth as it held like a sprung bear-trap around her neck.   
  
She tried to shout, she tried to cry out, anything. She eyed Cappaten on her arm, but she just couldn’t get the words out to bark an order.  
  
On the ground, Starwell clutched at her own throat as she coughed and spluttered, curling up into a ball. She was momentarily oblivious to what Gizmo was doing; she was desperately trying to catch her own breath.  
  
Starwell managed to find her breath and regain her composure by the time Anna collapsed on the ground, unconscious. The Guardian’s form flickered.  
  
“Gizmo!” Starwell choked out. “Stop it!” She then started to gag again.  
  
Gizmo reluctantly released the Guardian; Anna was currently in no shape to do anything at the moment anyway. It returned to its Keytool mode and snapped back onto Starwell’s arm.  
  
Starwell felt the tears streaming down her face as she curled into a ball on the ground, staring at the wrenching form of Anna Code. “I am so sorry,” she whimpered. “I am just so sorry.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Gun! Target!" Matrix landed in the desolation of the small part of the sector. Nulls were crawling everywhere. He simply aimed, not sure where to point it.  
  
Starwell’s head snapped up as she heard something. She whimpered slightly, standing up and wiping tears from her eyes.  
  
"Who's there?" she called out, her voice trembling. Suddenly she wasn't sure whether she wanted to face up to whoever had arrived, or run like hell. She shrank in size like a small child who had broken Grandma's prized vase… or dropped a lit match that started a forest fire.  
  
"Matrix?" she called out tentatively when she spotted him. She wrapped her arms around herself. She felt... ashamed. Guilty. More than ever, especially after what Anna had told her.  
  
Matrix marched towards the Guardian. He wasn't sure what he was going to be angry about first, so he did was instinct told him. Aim for the threatening one first.  
  
"I thought Bob told you to stay away from her..." He growled.  
  
Anna Code was still gasping and panting, clutching her throat. "You... see... what she did..." Anna coughed, weakly gesturing around her. She then managed to get enough strength together to glare up at Matrix. "She did this to my system!" Anna spat. "Starwell admitted it! She played the game that nullified my home... my parents... my best friend!"  
  
She coughed again, rubbing her injured throat. "You can't let her go free! She is a menace!"  
  
"Leave." Matrix showed his teeth, "Or I'll delete you. Both of you, just go." He forced Gun down.  
  
Anna Code didn't have to be told twice. Her hatred, anguish and fury continued to burn in her eyes, but... for now she would just go. If nothing else she needed to have her injured throat tended to.  
  
The Guardian got up and walked away with as much strength and dignity as she could muster.  
  
Starwell, on the other hand, stayed right where she was for a moment. Her entire form shook. Her eyes darted around again, taking in the horror of her surroundings. She mentally replayed everything that Anna had told her.  
  
It's my fault that she hates me so much! Starwell's mind screamed. Tears streamed down her face, and Hannah released a sob of anguish.  
  
Matrix was angry. She could tell. He wasn't kidding around when he told both of them to leave. But still...  
  
Weren't they friends? Didn't their friendship mean something, even after this?  
  
Starwell took a bold step forward. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something. Anything. But she couldn't find the words. And that look on his face...  
  
It was the look of a killer. I can't be friends with any of these people anymore, she decided, tears streaming down her face. She turned and ran. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her.  
  
She continued to run until her legs couldn't carry her anymore. She simply ducked into an alley and plunked herself between two dumpsters, similar to the area where she'd first met Mouse.  
  
"I'm terrible," she whimpered, drawing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. "They'll hate me forever now. I can't talk to them anymore."  
Gizmo beeped.  
  
"Oh I can just forget about trying to go home now," Hannah sobbed, burying her face into her arms. "They won't help me now. I did the worst thing I could do. All of them hate me! THEY HATE ME. You saw the way Matrix looked at me."  
  
Gizmo whirred, trying to utter something comforting.  
  
"Just shut up, please," Starwell cried. "I..." She leaned against the wall and rested her head against the dumpster. "I just want to sleep. I'll just stay here and I won't bother anyone again. I'm not going to do anything. I'm not going to speak to anyone, either."  
  
Gizmo let out a plaintive sound, then fell silent.


	32. Chapter 32

Matrix let out a yell, with all the fury he could muster. He slammed his fists into the ground, causing the cement to branch into cracks.  
  
“Matrix?”  
  
He looked up. The sprite who came toward him now was the one person who’d seen him in his worst moods, the one who had been by his side during every significant event in his life.  
  
“AndrAIa…” He clenched his teeth, glaring at the desolation around them both.  
  
“I know.” AndrAIa rested a gentle hand on his shoulder as she crouched down beside him. “It’s terrible,” she amended. “But I don’t think she meant to do it.”  
  
“Doesn’t matter. She still did it.”  
  
“But isn’t she your friend? You said--”  
  
“There you are!” Both of them looked up as Bob approached on a Zip Board. He still seemed fatigued, but more recovered than before. The Guardian stepped off of the Zip Board and set foot within the nullified sector. He couldn’t suppress a shiver as it rolled through his body; a freshly nullified area had that effect on him.  
  
“Bob…” Matrix sighed.  
  
“Where is Starwell?” Bob asked, looking around. “Is she here?” He started to move past the sprites as if to search for the girl, but Matrix’s words stopped him.  
  
“I… no, Bob. She’s not. She ran.”  
  
Bob turned to face him. “She ran away?” Matrix nodded.  
  
“Where did she go?” AndrAIa asked.  
  
“I don’t know. I… was angry,” he admitted. “That Guardian was here threatening her, and I told them both to leave.”  
  
“Code was threatening her?” Bob exclaimed. He wasn’t entirely surprised all things considered, especially having seen how intent and angry the female Guardian was. He was largely disappointed that a Guardian would stoop to that level, especially after he’d told her to back off.  
  
But that wasn’t the only thing he was disappointed about. “Matrix, you let Starwell leave, just like that?” Bob wasn’t angry, but that look of disappointment was still enough to bring out the regret in Matrix. Some of his anger and tough-guy renegade persona dissolved, just a bit. “I’m sorry, Bob,” he said. “I just…” AndrAIa put a gentle hand on his arm.  
  
The Guardian sighed. “Look,” he said in a reasonable tone, “what’s done is done, and…” He gestured around them. “We can rebuild. We’ve done it before. I don’t think Starwell would do this on purpose; she understands what happens when a User wins a Game.”  
  
“But she’s not really a User,” AndrAIa said.  
  
“Yes, she is.”  
  
“What?” Matrix and AndrAIa said in unison. They stared at him in shock, not quite believing their ears.  
  
Bob sighed. “Matrix… read this when you get a chance.” He handed the burly sprite a data pad; the info would speak for itself. Bob had already left copies with Phong and Dot at the Principal’s Office. He had a hunch that Mouse already suspected the truth; he might as well let the cat the rest of the way out of the bag.  
  
“In the meantime,” Bob said as he turned away, “I’m going to look for Starwell.” He stepped onto his Zip Board and hovered above the ground. “Did you see which way she went?”  
  
“Not sure… that way, I think,” Matrix pointed.  
  
Bob nodded, and zipped off.  
  
Matrix and AndrAIa watched him go. Both of them stood alone in the middle of desolation, the terrifying symbol of what happened when a User won a Game.  
  
Matrix eyed the data pad in his hand and activated it. If Bob felt it was important he would check it out. The more he read of it, the more conflicted he felt about the entire situation… especially Starwell herself.   
  
“What is it, Lover?” AndrAIa asked. She frowned as she saw the look of bewilderment growing on her boyfriend’s features. “What’s it say?”  
  
“It doesn’t make sense,” Matrix said, shaking his head. “According to this…” He looked straight into her eyes. “Starwell is a real User.”  
  
AndrAIa’s face changed into a look of astonishment. “Let me see,” she requested, extended a hand to take the pad. Matrix let her take it and she began to pour over the data.  
  
“I’ve never heard or anything like this,” she said after a few moments. “I’ve never even imagined…”  
  
“Yeah, just when you think you’ve seen it all.” Matrix sighed. In a way, this changed everything…  
  
Or did it?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
  
Rogue Guardian Anna Code found herself alone, in more ways than one. Dana Line and Miss Cookie had been destroyed by the Phoenix Infection. In her own way she mourned for them, even if she shed no tears.  
  
Anna had given up the luxury of crying a long time ago. She experienced anger, she sometimes felt joy or happiness, and other times she felt sad, but... for the most part, the only things that kept her going were the vain hope that she would one day pay the User back for ruining her life.  
  
The hatred within her heart was like a virus in of itself. It had consumed her, making her act out in ways that went against the Guardian Code. She realized that she should have been ashamed, considering she had trespassed in a System that was not under her jurisdiction and ignored warnings from those who protected it.  
  
Thankfully, none of the sprites of Mainframe knew that she was responsible for unleashing the Phoenix Virus, but the fact remained that she knew in her heart that she alone was responsible. She should have deleted that box, not opened it. The Island should have been cleansed.   
  
After receiving medical attention for the injury on her throat, she ended up getting onto her zip board and returning to Lost Angles to do just that. With the aid of Cappaten, she spent the rest of the second cleansing the entire Island of any leftover viral residue and she deleted anything that appeared the least bit suspicious.  
  
Thankfully the fire that the Phoenix had started apparently vanished after the virus was destroyed.  
  
Anna ended up staying at Lost Angles for nearly two whole seconds, doing nothing but cleaning up and making the place safe. It was her own way of seeking redemption, she supposed, plus… it enabled her to stay out of everyone’s way and to re-process her own thoughts and objectives.  
  
During this time, she did a lot of thinking and soul-searching. Different parts of her mind argued with itself as she tried to come to terms with what happened and what she should do now.  
  
You did the unthinkable, the Guardian part of her said sternly. You could have destroyed the city with that virus. And you didn't even help.  
  
Anna seethed. "I warned them, didn't I?" It did not bother her that she was talking to herself. She was alone on this Island, after all. "Then I went to find Starwell, the reason I came here in the first place."  
  
You were told to leave her alone. If you had gone into that Game, maybe you could have saved that sector.  
  
"Yeah, maybe I would have if those two idiots hadn't grabbed me," Anna said bitterly, shaking her head. Hack and Slash were not only annoying, they were also bumbling idiots to the extreme. "I'm just doing what I know to do. I always vowed that if I ever met a User, I would make that User pay."  
  
At what cost?  
  
"Whatever it takes."  
  
At the cost of your own system, which you abandoned to pursue her? At the cost of another system? At the cost of the entire Net?  
  
Anna sighed. Her Rogue side often clashed with her Guardian side like this, and it was getting annoying. "A User has always been more dangerous than any virus," she said aloud. "They created the viruses, they created the games, and they're too oblivious to all the harm they cause."  
  
But if it weren't for the Users... you wouldn't be here, either.  
  
"At least then I wouldn't have to exist to see all of the suffering... or to..." Anna closed her eyes. "Feel such deep hurt and hatred."   
  
For the first time in many long minutes, a single tear streaked down Anna's cheek. She swiped it away impatiently. Apparently the User's presence had affected her more deeply than she thought.  
  
"I will not start crying like some little school-sprite over this," she snapped, disgusted at herself. Tears did absolutely no good, especially when there had been no one there to hug you or wipe your tears away for a long, long time.  
  
That is why you hate Starwell so much, that annoying, philosophical Guardian side of her persisted. You always suspected that SHE was responsible for the loss of your family, your best friend... your home. Now you have the chance to make her suffer, too.  
  
Anna let out a scream of fury and slammed her fists into one of the walls of Lost Angles. It made her hands sting but she did not care. "I WILL DELETE HER WHEN I GET THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY," she vowed an oath of vengeance.  
  
And yet that annoying part of her processor still persisted with its irritating logic. Don't you think she has suffered enough? You saw the look in her eyes when you made her see the nullified sector. Guilt, shame, remorse... she understands. And she is not without compassion. She HURTS.  
  
"Not... good... enough," Anna grated through clenched teeth. "I lost an important part of my life when she played that Game. She must answer for that, one way or another."  
  
Even if you somehow manage to get past Bob, Matrix, and everyone else that protects Starwell... will deleting the User bring back everything you lost? Will you get those years back?  
  
"No, I suppose not," Anna growled, resting her head against the wall. "But maybe I will have some satisfaction." She closed her eyes. "It's all I have anymore to look forward to."  
  
The annoying part of her begged to differ, and she thought of everything she had back home. The flourished apartment that she had decorated herself, which she shared with her husband George, all of their plans to have a couple of little sprites someday, her friends back home...  
  
"One way or another," Anna whispered stubbornly, "I just... have to finish what I started. If it ends up being too terrible to bear, I will delete myself afterwards."  
  
She then ignored the Guardian side of her as she continued her task of cleansing the Island.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Over the next three seconds, Alpha Starwell lived the best she could within the regions of Ghetty Prime, the area where she’d first arrived in Mainframe. She lived on the streets like an urchin sprite, staying out of everyone’s way and sleeping next to dumpsters. Occasionally she would even steal energy.  
  
She preferred not to steal in order to eat or drink, but she had no Units and she was far too ashamed to ask the Mainframers for anything. There were a couple of times where she managed to perform a service with the aid of Gizmo in exchange for a meal though, which made her feel slightly better.   
  
However she spent most of her time alone, doing some intense soul-searching over everything that had happened. Starwell was absolutely appalled over the fact that she had won a game, and that she had been personally responsible for many travesties in her Uncle’s system.  
  
Hannah was heart-broken and mortified. The logical part of her brain tried to insist that none of this was her fault. The game she won in Mainframe had been an accident, and while she was in the real world she had no way of knowing what damage games could cause the sprites. Because nobody in her world knew that these people even existed. And yet…  
  
Well, they did exist. And they had created a wonderful world for themselves, and many of them were such good people. The Mainframers had protected her from the female Guardian and they treated her like a guest.  
  
“They only treated me like a friend because they don’t believe I’m a real User,” she thought bitterly. She was suddenly positive that as long as they believed she was just some kind of odd, one-of-kind sprite, they would accept her. But if they ever figured out she was a User…  
  
Hell, what did it matter? It didn’t matter whether they thought she was a real User or not; now all of Mainframe would know that she had a destructive nature. The nullified sector was there for all to see now, and everybody would be talking about it. They would know that she was responsible.  
  
This train of thought made her almost paranoid and all the more guilt-stricken.   
  
“Gizmo,” she said in a whisper, “I… need more time to process all of this. But… we’re just gonna stay away from everybody, stay out of their way. After I get some rest we’re gonna see if we can find our own way home. If not…we’ll just stay out of everyone’s way.”  
  
She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs. “I don’t want to talk to anyone anymore. And I wouldn’t blame them if they don’t want to talk to me.”  
  
Gizmo made a plaintive sound, although it made it very, very clear that no matter what she did or decided to do… it would be there to support her and keep her company all the way.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The next three seconds tolled on everyone, especially those who knew Starwell personally. They would have been able to find her, if she was registered like most binomes and sprites. Since the User-sprite had no Icon or PID, nobody had been able to find her outside of rumors.  
  
Bob hadn't been furious about the situation, but pained. He felt responsible for Starwell, and it had hurt that she didn't see the comfort of friends. However, he didn't feel angry with Matrix for what he did. The Guardian felt some disappointment, but Matrix did as he thought was best. Bob couldn't ask him for any more.

Matrix, on the other hand, did not know how he felt about it. Especially now that he understood she truly was a User. That fact alone had taken everyone who knew some time to process, even if they did their best to keep it under wraps.   
  
He was cleaning the counter at Dot’s Diner with a worn rag when the front door opened and Mouse walked in with AndrAIa in tow. The Hacker’s face was contorted with frustration and disappointment.  
  
“Still no luck?” Matrix already knew the answer, yet he asked anyway.  
  
“Nope,” Mouse said, pursing her lips. She placed one hand on her hip. “I’ve tried every trick I know, but I can’t find her.” Her Southern drawl dripped with disappointment at her failure. She was a Hacker at heart, but she had done plenty of investigating and tracking in her time, even if she wasn’t as good as a tracking cookie. It aggravated her that she couldn’t find one sprite… even one that didn’t want to be found.  
  
“I think her Keytool might be keeping her concealed,” was the last thing Mouse muttered as she walked to another area of the Diner. She had agreed to meet Ray at a booth for an energy shake and she had every intention of keeping their date, despite the circumstances.  
  
Besides, sometimes a public place like the Diner was a good area to hear rumors.  
  
Matrix locked eyes with AndrAIa, shrugged slightly, and went back to checking the inventory. Cecil hadn’t been keeping up-to-date on certain things, although that was technically the job of the person in charge anyway. Which was something that Cecil would be the first to point out, especially since he refused to do anything outside of his current function.  
  
Sometimes Matrix was tempted to throttle him.  
  
“Sparky,” AndrAIa’s voice said, causing him to glance up. “Why haven’t you been out looking for her?”  
  
Matrix returned his attention to the inventory menu. “She doesn’t want to be found,” he answered in a low voice. Apparently the Diner would need to stock up on more energy shakes and a few other items. He would need to compile supplies from the bits and bytes stored in the back room.  
  
At least everyone claimed that he was becoming a pretty good cook.  
  
“Matrix…” AndrAIa hopped onto the edge of the counter and swung her legs over to the other side, hopping down behind it. She placed her hands on her hips as she towered over him. “I think if there’s anyone in Mainframe who can find her, you can.”   
  
Matrix abandoned the inventory list behind the counter, rising to his full height to face her. He hated it when she stood over him that way, especially when he was sitting or crouching. It reminded him of the days when he was a little boy and Dot would stand over him like that, especially if he was misbehaving.  
  
He felt more like himself once he was back at her eye-level, though. “Everyone else in Mainframe has been out looking for her,” he stated. “Not even Bob or Mouse could find her. What makes you think I can?”  
  
“You’ve always been able to find a bit in a data cluster whenever you set your mind to it,” AndrAIa persisted. “Besides, you two have been through things together that you understand.”  
  
"But AndrAIa..."  
  
"She's your friend Matrix, you'll be able to find her."  
  
Matrix sighed, scratching his head. “Fine,” he said. He did have a few tricks up his sleeve he could try… maybe deep down he even knew where he could start looking. Besides, he had friends who could aid him with the search.   
  
He tapped his icon and his attire changed from the Diner uniform to his Renegade outfit. “Would you mind looking after this place while I’m out?” he asked.  
  
“Not at all,” AndrAIa said. “Bring her home, Sparky.” She touched his shoulder and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. He held her hand for a moment, then turned and headed out of the Diner.  
  
AndrAIa watched him go, then she sat down behind the counter and looked over the Inventory screen. She frowned. “Looks like we’re fresh out of apple byte pie with energy crystal clusters,” she mused, checking one of the most popular delicacies. “What was the recipe for that again?”  
  
She tapped her icon, changing her outfit into a Diner uniform complete with an apron. She had no desire to spill anything hot or cold on herself again. “Cecil!” she called. “Where are the cooking supplies?”  
  
Cecil came forward along his ceiling track. “In the back,” he said. “The kitchen and everything else is in the back. Have fun.” He gave a dismissive wave of his hands and began to move away.  
  
“Just a nano,” AndrAIa said. “I need your help in the back.”  
  
“What do I look like, a short-order chef?” Cecil continued to move away.  
  
“You get back here this instant,” AndrAIa said, raising her voice just enough to be firm. She didn’t want to bother the patrons. “Matrix left me in charge while he’s gone, and I can’t seem to make these fast foods work without your help. So get your Bitmap over here!”  
  
Cecil let out a heavy sigh, threw his hands in the air in exasperation, and returned to AndrAIa. “Fine then… follow me, Mademoiselle.” He began to move in the general direction of the back room where only employees were allowed, with AndrAIa in tow. “But I warn you,” he growled, “if you do anything like you did last time, I am never assisting you in the kitchen again!”  
  
“Don’t worry,” AndrAIa rolled her eyes, “I am not going to blow up the kitchen.”  
  
“You better not. I still do not know how you did it, but you are the only person I know who can cause system tears when cooking!” He whirled on her and jabbed a finger in her face. “Just remember that some ingredients don’t mix!”   
  
He turned and barreled through the kitchen doors. AndrAIa matter-of-factly stepped inside after him.  
  
“So, where do we start?” she asked as she adjusted her apron.  
  
Cecil handed her a large pot. “Start by boiling some cooking energy,” he instructed.


	33. Chapter 33

After leaving the Diner, Matrix followed the rumors on his own accord, away from Bob and the Principal Office. Rumors were the only thing he could go by.   
  
But he didn't go as himself. A change of cloths and, with some help from Old Man Pearson and Phong, Matrix managed to disguise his appearance. He was clothed a worn long coat with a dark hooded jacket underneath. With a little help of Temporary Bitmap, his skin no longer appeared green but a light blue, lighter than Bob's. He even managed so far as to make his implanted eye look its part; both his eyes now appeared normal.  
  
This way he could ask questions without anyone suspecting anything. More importantly, without Starwell learning that Matrix was looking for her. He theorized that the reason even Mouse hadn’t been able to find her, despite the hacker’s best efforts, was because Starwell or Gizmo had seen her coming.  
  
When looking for someone who didn’t want to be found, one had to be more subtle than that… at least sometimes.  
  
He followed the rumors into Ghetty Prime.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was the Net equivalent of mid-day, a time that Starwell had learned to recognize and gotten used to. She was going about her business (such as it was) within Ghetty Prime, her only constant companion being Gizmo. Somehow or other she found herself wandering toward a little place called Al's. She just happened to have a few Units that she'd earned doing a little job for someone, something that wasn't... entirely legal, but still relatively harmless.   
  
So she figured she might as well check the place out and see about getting served. She found the sprites within to be a bit... odd, but as long as they left her alone, she would leave them alone. She glanced around the building, moving at a slow pace; she did not want to draw attention to herself. Everybody seemed to ignore her for the most part, paying attention to their own petty squabbles, conversations or just eating and drinking.   
  
Starwell plunked herself down at a booth in a far corner within the building, as far away from the door as she could get. She had managed to evade everyone who tried to find her whenever she could, though there had been a few close calls. Especially when it came to Mouse; in the end, the only way to escape notice from the Hacker was to ask Gizmo to erect a cloaking field around her.  
  
Gizmo had not been happy about it. The Keytool had the opinion that she should face up to what happened and try talking to Bob or someone else. But for the time-being it went along with her anti-social, run-and-hide tendencies. It figured she needed space to deal with everything… even if it was running out patience for her to snap out of this.  
  
She was clearly miserable, and she wasn’t getting any closer to finding her way home. This didn’t make Gizmo very happy, either.  
  
Starwell silently waited for a waiter, hoping she wouldn’t have to wait too long. She never stayed in one place too long, especially not public places, because she didn’t want to be found.  
  
"Like, hello," said the binome with the skates and the rather feminine male voice that served her, "Welcome to Al's Diner, can I like take your order?"  
  
Starwell shrugged a little. "Just an energy shake," she said simply. "That'll do for now." She scooted over a bit in her booth, pressing herself against the wall and slumping down a bit. She really wanted to remain as inconspicuous as possible.  
  
Gizmo, for its part, was being stone silent. The two of them hadn't exactly talked much for the last two Seconds. Plus someone had already tried to steal Gizmo once, and it had no wish to draw any more unwanted attention to itself.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix rode to Ghetty Prime on his zip board, taking a few moments to fly over the area and examine it. There was nothing to be seen there, certainly nothing out of the ordinary. He didn’t spend much time there because he knew he was wasting his time.  
  
AndrAIa had been right. He knew something about the way Starwell would be thinking and feeling right now, at least he could take a good guess. She was just a kid, but she was dealing things he’d experienced when he was far from home… even if she was dealing with them poorly.   
  
Where might he go if he was a younger sprite hiding out in Ghetty Prime? To the lowest levels, especially if he didn’t want to be found. He zipped downward through one of the access points, grimacing as he passed through the sewers.  
  
Once he was deep within he hopped off of his Zip Board and folded it up, compressing it to place it on his belt. He then strolled forward toward the first place he could think to look; Al’s Diner.  
  
He did not expect to find her there. What he did expect was to find somebody who’d seen her. If he could figure out what areas she liked to frequent within the area, that would be a step in the right direction.  
  
He didn't enter dramatically, simply went inside and took a seat. It had taken forever for everybody at Al's to be registered again, since Megabyte had taken their PIDs. His head turned slowly as he took in the view of the Diner, which held an atmosphere very unlike Dot’s Diner.  
  
A different type of crowd came here. The kind that preferred the seedier side of life; some of them were former Neo-Virals. Matrix narrowed his eyes.  
  
“May I help you?” said a waiter, getting Matrix’s attention.   
  
“Yeah,” Matrix said, “you can tell me if you’ve seen a young sprite.”  
  
The waiter blinked. “A sprite?”  
  
“Yeah. Black hair, about this tall,” he held his hand flat just below his shoulders to indicate height, “and she has a Keytool…” He leaned forward slightly, furrowing his brow. “Seen her?” he asked in his best no-nonsense, tough-guy voice.  
  
Despite his disguise, Matrix still gave off a vibe of intimidation. The waiter got the distinct impression that it would be best to be truthful. “Actually,” he said, “there is someone here who fits that description.”  
  
“There is?” Matrix straightened. “Where?”  
  
The waiter pointed. “Over there.”  
  
It took Matrix a moment to spot her, but then he did. Starwell was slumped down in a booth on the far side of the Diner, the top of her head just barely visible.   
  
Matrix turned away from the waiter and walked in Starwell’s general direction, oblivious to the binome’s relief once his attention was elsewhere. He moved closer to the girl and got a better look; it was definitely her.  
  
It took all of his will not to go running to her and yell at her for running off.  
  
Instead he strolled closer and took the booth right next to hers, watching silently as a waiter on roller skates served her an energy shake. The User-sprite took it and glanced around warily; her eyes locked onto his altered form. He looked away, pretending not to know her. When he glanced at her again she was ignoring him and the rest of her surroundings, sipping her shake and staring at nothing in particular.  
  
Matrix took his time and relaxed, leaning back against the booth and draping an arm across the back of his seat. This was just another waiting game.  
  
Starwell looked every bit like an emotionally withdrawn, depressed, guilt-ridden person that she was. Actually, she seemed to be past that point; she had put up an emotional barrier within herself, keeping everyone and everything at a distance.  
  
Her eyes were hooded, her expression mostly blank, yet there was a... haunted look at the back of her eyes. It was worse than it had been when she'd started to emotionally withdraw within the Game with Matrix.  
  
A few micro-seconds passed; she began to look a little impatient, but she still said nothing. She didn't even move much, except for leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table.  
  
If nothing else, she was keeping alert, watching her surroundings.  
  
Matrix shifted in his seat, preparing to move. He would have waited to confront her outside. He would have. Until something sat in his booth with him.  
  
"Hello there."  
  
Matrix could only describe it as a sprite of some sort. Likely one of the very few sprites that wandered Mainframe. But this one had been... altered. Bits of small, dark blue metal seemed to cover parts of its bitmap like scales. Where muscles were supposed to be, silver strands stuck out. Red horn like appendages, small but pointed, stuck from their forehead. The eyes glowed an unnatural aqua, and Matrix caught the glint of sharp teeth under lips.  
  
This had been a sprite. But what it was now, he couldn't say. But he knew what this person resembled. "Can I help you?" Matrix forced patience in his voice, but everything about his being was screaming for this thing's deletion.  
  
"Oh yes, I was curious if maybe you could come outside?"  
  
"No, no I won't." Matrix resisted the urge to blow his cover. Were Starwell not right there, he would have shot the former sprite in a nano.  
  
The former sprite leaned forward, over the table. At the edge of Matrix's vision he realized nobody in the Diner was paying any attention. Did they not notice the sprite? Did they realize what the sprite, or who, looked like?  
  
"Oh but darling," said the former sprite sweetly, "All I want to do is... hang around."  
  
"Get away from me," Matrix growled, "I'm warning you."  
  
"But I want to have some fun." The Former sprite caressed his cheek. Matrix grabbed it, and what he saw gave him chills.  
  
His hand had what he could only describe as Viral. Dark blue scales, yellow padded knuckles and joints, and claws, all connected by both normal skin and the silvery strands. It was insectoid. It wasn't sprite.  
  
"See?" said the former sprite, "We are all going to have some fun, very soon." With that, the former sprite left the booth and walked away. Matrix looked at his hand. It was normal again. Disguised, but normal. He wasn't sure how long he could take this without going on a virus hunting spree.  
  
He glanced at Starwell, who was looking in his direction. She quickly turned her gaze away when she realized he was looking at her. That meant she still didn’t recognize him. But she did look uncomfortable; she half-rose, obviously getting ready to leave.  
  
Matrix eyed his hand again. It still appeared normal. So he averted his gaze and pretended to ignore Starwell, even as he prepared to follow her.  
  
The waiter on roller skates passed by their booths and Starwell got his attention. She quickly paid her tab and stood, taking her energy shake into hand and moving swiftly toward the door.  
  
Matrix got out of his booth and slowly began to follow Starwell. She exited the building and the door swung shut behind her; Matrix walked up to it and stepped outside as well. He spotted her crossing the street and proceeded to trail her.  
  
She proceeded at a casual pace, yet she kept her eyes peeled. It was as if she was wary of someone jumping out of the shadows to try and rob her... or something else.  
  
She walked a couple of blocks and ducked into an alley that she had more or less made her home base. At least, it was where she could rest out of sight. She finished her shake and then tossed the cup into the dumpster.   
  
Then she plunked herself down on the ground between the two dumpsters, and let her eyelids drift shut to rest.  
  
Matrix lingered just outside of the alley for a long moment. His sharp senses heard her footfalls cease within, meaning she had stopped. He waited for a long moment before he slowly entered the alley.   
  
Little did he know that he wouldn’t get very far.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Had the Rogue Guardian not been in Lost Angles, maybe Attention would not have turned there. The Attention slowly followed the wayward sprite, in the hopes of being noticed.  
  
Anna Code was nearly finished with her self-appointed job on the Island, such as it was. She was mostly content with the fact that it had been scrubbed, and it was now safe and secure. She just had one final area within the Lair to check out, and then all would be good.  
  
Part of her was actually... saddened by the prospect that her job here was nearly done. It meant that she would have no reason to stay on the Island, which meant... she would either have to leave, or risk deletion or arrest by pursuing the User.  
  
She pushed that thought aside. She would simply focus on finishing her task before anything else.  
  
A deep, dark but gentlemanly voice spoke behind the Guardian: "Tell me young lady, but do you have the time?"  
  
Anna whirled around, holding Cappaten at the ready. "Who is there?" she demanded. She had been certain that she was alone on this Island.  
  
Something tapped on the Guardian's shoulder. "I've forgotten my manners. I am Megabyte, infector of Systems."  
  
Anna's eyes darkened as she faced him. "Virus!" she exclaimed. "What do you want?" She took a couple of steps back, still holding her Keytool at the ready.   
  
"How rude. And here I thought I would have someone reasonable to speak with."  
  
"I am a Guardian, and that is all you need to know," Anna snapped. "State your purpose here and maybe, maybe, I won't delete you."  
  
"I only want... Information, that you may be able to provide."  
  
"Ha! And why in the Net would I want to give anything to a virus scum like you?" Anna snapped. She moved her arm closer to her mouth. "Cappaten," she ordered, "containment field.”  
  
The Keytool released a red energy field that formed several rings that wrapped around the virus and secured his arms against his sides. It held the virus just as securely as it had held the red-haired woman Anna had encountered before.  
  
"Why my dear Guardian..." The form changed, leaving an unconscious binome, tied. But the Attention reappeared, walking into the room again. "...All I wanted was to work out a proposition."  
  
Anna blinked. It suddenly became obvious that this was no ordinary virus; he had the ability to move about, possibly from person to person. She quietly released the energy field and lowered her arm… cautiously.   
  
"Alright... I'm listening," she said tentatively, buying for time. "Tell me what you're thinking and... I'll consider it." With luck, perhaps the virus would make a slip of the tongue or reveal a weakness. This is just more proof that these Mainframers don’t take proper care of their system, she thought grimly.  
  
"I believe you are looking for someone, and perhaps I may be able to help."  
  
"And how did you know that I'm looking for someone?" Anna demanded. "Have you been following me?"  
  
"Lets just say a little Bird whispered in my ear."  
  
She frowned. "Just tell me what you want," she said simply, dismissing that for now. "What do you want from me?"  
  
"Don't worry about that, I will get what I want in helping you."  
  
"I... see," Anna said slowly. She didn't like the sound of this, and every bit of her Guardian Code told her not to go along with this. She should never trust a Virus. "And how exactly would I be helping you?" she asked. "What does this have to do with... the sprite I'm after?" She narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Why, Guardian, I simply want to do my duty and hand over the User. The rest is... Inconsequential."  
  
Anna knew she smelled a bit-rat. "Why are you so interested in this User?" she asked carefully.  
  
"Who wouldn't be? A User, in the Net? Why that is simply impossible. And yet, one is here."  
  
"Yes," Anna said thoughtfully, "a User in the Net is something that has never been seen nor heard of before." She folded her arms. "You still haven't told me what you're proposing, or why you need me," she said with forced patience.  
  
"What I'm proposing, dear girl, is an alliance. You get your User, and I will simply be happy."  
  
The Guardian frowned. Viruses were bad news, all the way. Yet the offer was strangely tempting… especially since it wouldn’t be easy to get to the User any other way. "Let's say I do agree to this," Anna said carefully, neither concurring nor rejecting his offer… yet. "What would we need to do?"  
  
"Simple. There are plenty of little toys Hexadecimal has around here.” He made an idle gesture around them with one long, muscular arm. “What needs to be done is spread a little trouble. A distraction here, a diversion there, enough to weaken their defenses. They wouldn't allow you personally to take the User, correct? That means I must. You will get what you want, and I will end up with I want."  
  
"I take it I'm supposed to use more of her little toys, like the Phoenix Virus, to help with this," Anna mused thoughtfully. "But... you don't plan to permanently harm Mainframe, do you?"  
  
“Upon my Word.”  
  
Anna knew better than to trust the word of a virus. And yet... it was obvious she would not be able to get anywhere near Starwell at this point, not with so many sprites looking after her. She sighed. "I still don't know what you want out of this," she told Megabyte sternly. "I'm afraid I need to know a little more, or I can't help you."  
  
"My offer still stands." The Attention turned around, "You won't be able to get that User without my help, and will likely be deleted before you can even leave the system. But, if you wish to do this on your own…” He took a step forward, as if to walk away.  
  
"Wait!" Anna held up her hand. She saw the virus slowly turn in her direction again, apparently waiting for her final answer. She sucked in a breath; she couldn't give one right at that instant. Her Rogue side and her Guardian side were in another serious conflict within her.  
  
"I... am not saying no," she said carefully. "But can I have a few moments to think about this?" She then grimaced as she said something she never, ever thought she would say to a virus. "Please?"  
  
...She must be more glitched up in the head than she thought she was. Part of her knew that the virus had no intention of keeping his word. His very breath seemed to reek of the foul stench of lies. And yet…  
  
Couldn’t this be exactly what she needed? Virus’s corrupted. Virus’s destroyed. If he got his paws on the User, perhaps he would destroy her… or at least do something terrible like infect Starwell, which would require termination. Either way, she would still win… if this dangerous gamble played out the way she wanted it to.  
  
"Take all the time in the Net, Miss... I don't believe I caught your name. What was it now?"  
  
Anna closed her eyes, clenching her hands into fists at her sides. "My name is Anna Code," she said in a low voice.  
  
"A pleasure, Miss Code. I will come back within the millisecond, and please, do not be hasty."  
  
Anna watched the virus go. She blinked, and he was simply gone. She didn't know where. She sighed heavily and sat down on the floor, burying her face into her hands. She was absolutely insane to be considering this.  
  
But wasn't it not long ago when she considered using a virus infection to get at the User? She had almost gotten Alpha Starwell then... would this really be all that different? Perhaps the ends could justify the means...  
  
She was really beginning to wish that the User had never set foot into any system. This situation was proving to be more trouble than it was worth. She was starting to get a massive processor ache.  
  
Anna rubbed her temples warily. She still couldn’t believe she was seriously considering this. She thought of Bob, she thought of Matrix… she thought of the city of Mainframe.  
  
She bowed her head, and proclaimed a silent oath to herself. If somehow this turned out bad, if the city became severely harmed or destroyed… she would either delete herself once she dealt with the User, or she would sacrifice her own life to stop Megabyte if it came to that.  
  
It seemed like the best she could do.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix spotted Starwell, who appeared to sleeping--or at least resting--between two dumpsters. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but then--  
  
"Oh, Darling, you came out to play."  
  
Matrix jerked around. Surrounded. The Former sprite, and a group of Former binomes. They had all the same strange infection, the scales, the eyes, the claws. Sharp teeth were it was possible. They looked truly animal.  
  
"Back off!" Matrix warned. His hand twitched; Gun flew into it and he gripped it securely.  
  
"But why would we want to?" the Former sprite's voice changed into a rumbling growl. Matrix watch them changed, their forms either degrade or infection spread deeper. More like animals, more like viruses. Looking more like monstrous versions of Megabyte.  
  
Matrix kicked away a monstrous binome. He thought he heard Gizmo beep, but Starwell didn’t seem to stir much. More of the infected binomes came at him, and they latched on to him, pulling him down. The Monstrous sprite pounced on him, its teeth were inches from his face.  
  
Gizmo beeped more insistently, and more shrilly. By the time Starwell’s eyes flickered open, and she saw someone lying on the ground within the alley. It looked like he was... struggling with something. She thought she spotted something--several something’s--running off, as if a strange form of cat-and-mouse was going on. Or perhaps it was like a pack of wolves playing with some unsuspecting prey…  
  
She blinked. She kind of recognized the male sprite... wasn't he at Al's Diner? Was he following her or something? What was wrong with him? He looked a bit… strange. Starwell took a moment to make sure the strange-looking binomes were gone. "Gizmo... uh, scan him," she said in a low whisper. She drew her knees more tightly against herself and tried to blend into the shadows between the dumpsters.  
  
Gizmo did as it was told. It detected some odd energy fluctuations and possible Viral Infection, but nothing identifiable. Starwell very tentatively crawled forward on all fours, getting ready to sprint if she needed to. "Excuse me," she called out, "are you okay? Can I help?"  
  
Something tapped Starwell's shoulder, causing her to flinch and glance up sharply. "Yes," the monstrous sprite hissed, "You can."  
  
"Get away from me!" the girl shrieked, slapping the hand away and jumping to her feet. Gizmo clicked and worried in agitation.  
  
Matrix sat up. He felt strange, like he was partially dreaming. He quickly shook it off and stood up. The Monstrous sprite was right there, right behind Starwell. He grasped Starwell's arm, and found that his hand had gone viral again. No time to mess with that, he spoke to her, in a voice not his own. "Run."  
  
Starwell flinched as he touched her. She didn't have to be told twice; she began to run. It was the only thing she could do in her mind, especially in her current mental state. Run and keep running.


	34. Chapter 34

Matrix followed close behind Starwell. He would fight, but Starwell had become his top priority.  
  
Starwell screamed again when she realized she was being followed. Who was this sprite? Was he chasing her now? She had no idea what was going on. "Get away from me!" she snapped at him, taking a sharp turn out of the alley. She sprinted down the street, running as fast as her legs could carry her.  
  
She then bolted into the street in an attempt to lose her pursuers. She ended up cutting in front of a ghetto car; it swerved, narrowly missing her. She tripped on the curb as she reached the other side of the street, sprawling face-first into the sidewalk. "Ow," she groaned, slowly pushing herself up. That hurt. She picked herself up off the ground, rubbing her sore elbows; she had landed on them roughly when she fell.  
  
Gizmo shrieked at Starwell; the weird sprite was coming toward her again. "Looks like I have a stalker," she remarked, as she began to press on. "We've gotta lose him!" She sprinted forward, down another street. She then rounded another corner, sprinted down that street a little ways, and then ducked into another alleyway, hoping to lose her pursuer.  
  
Then she did the only thing she could think to do; she jumped into a dumpster. Then she shushed Gizmo when it tried to tell her what she had landed in. She really, really did not want to know. It was bad enough she had to smell it.  
  
Meanwhile, Matrix found himself faster, stronger. He had one thought on his mind: Protect Starwell. His saner part of his mind knew that something was up, these were not his actions anymore.  
  
He would not lose her!  
  
…What was he doing?  
  
He was ordered to Protect her!  
  
Whose orders? What was going on?  
  
Matrix stopped, clutched his head. He knew what this was...  
  
Infection. His head seemed to throb as a pulse of energy shot through his body; something was attempting to eat away at his will. He would not let it win.  
  
"ENOUGH OF THIS!" he yelled, and tapped his Icon twice. This enabled it to switch into his Game-sprite Mode. This nullified his disguise, but it nullified his infection. He was merely Matrix.  
  
He inhaled deeply and exhaled a puff of breath. He staggered as he took several steps closer to the dumpster that Starwell was hiding in. He was just a few feet away from it when he collapsed.  
  
Inside the dumpster, Starwell practically squirmed.. "OW!" she yelled, and kicked at something that had bitten her. She ended up striking the side of the dumpster instead, making more noise than she needed to. Then she realized what had nipped her; there was a Null in the dumpster. Apparently it wanted her energy.  
  
She hadn't been in Mainframe long, but being around the Ghetto for last couple of seconds made her realize that Nulls preyed on energy. Some of them had disrupted her beauty rest the other night. "Ugh," she grunted, trying to keep it away from her. Maybe if she could grab it she could throw it out of the dumpster. However, she couldn't get her hands on the squirmy, evasive little null; it stayed out of her grasp, yet it insisted on trying to get at her ankles.  
  
She was climbing out of the dumpster when she noticed something--no, someone--on the ground nearby. Starwell froze and stared at it for a moment; it didn’t appear to be the strange sprite who’d been chasing her… or the monstrous one either.  
  
In fact it looked like… Matrix? She landed on the ground next to the dumpster, hesitating in a half-crouch. She wanted to run. She wanted to get far away from him.   
  
He hated her, didn't he? He had every right to hate her, along with everyone else now. For some strange reason... she didn't know which would be worse; if he hated her or didn't hate her.  
  
Still... despite the emotional wall she'd formed inside herself, she... part of her had to make sure that he was okay. "Gizmo," she whispered, "uh... scan his vitals, if you can. Is he okay?"  
  
Gizmo scanned him. It then clicked and whirred, showing her a readout. Starwell frowned, realizing that she had no idea what was considered normal for a fully functional sprite. However, in Gizmo’s opinion, Matrix seemed fine; just low on energy and currently offline due to the shock of dealing with an Infection.   
  
“Okay then…” Starwell took a very tentative step forward, just beyond arm's reach of Matrix. She would just make sure he was okay. Nothing else.  
  
"M-Matrix?" she asked. "You okay?"  
  
Matrix's eyes flickered open for a moment, and he looked up at Starwell. He opened his mouth to say something, say anything. But nothing came, and his consciousness faded.  
  
She still wanted to just run. Yet she couldn’t just leave him like this… not after what they’d been through in the first Game. There was no telling what might happen to him in this part of town if she just left him there on the ground. She sighed heavily, then with tremendous effort she hauled his heavy, muscular form further into the alley. She propped him up against the wall beside the dumpster, and then she plunked herself on the ground across from him.  
  
She simply sat and waited, gazing off into space with a blank expression. She would just wait and make sure he woke up... then she was out like a light.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
  
Back in the control center of the Principal’s Office, Dot Matrix worked frantically. She had her usual duties to attend to along with organized search parties looking for Alpha Starwell.  
  
Phong had informed her of her big brother’s plans to try and locate the girl. He’d even altered his appearance and everything, so that he could ask questions without drawing attention to himself and approach her discreetly. Somehow she had a hunch that if anyone could locate the wayward sprite, Matrix could.  
  
After all, he knew better than anyone what it felt like to be lost, and what kind of places a lost and frightened young sprite might hide. Dot was a very busy woman and didn’t have much time to contemplate such things, but even she knew that Matrix saw a kindred spirit in the girl. They were so different, yet so similar where it mattered.  
  
Dot already had a plan in place for when they found Starwell; she had Mouse standing by with a spare Icon from Phong. Once Starwell was found they would use it to register the young sprite in the System and, hopefully, make some modifications to change the way the System recognized Starwell. Mouse had assured Dot that she could make it work in order to prevent future, accidental nullification if Starwell happened to be trapped in another game.  
  
A VidWindow opened just above where she sat; Bob’s concerned features appeared larger than life above her. “Dot,” he said. “Has there been any word from Matrix?”  
  
“No,” Dot said, frowning with concern.   
  
Bob sighed. He was growing concerned. “Can you pinpoint his PID?”  
  
“Give me a nano.” Dot’s fingers flew over the keys on a terminal, attempting to locate her brother’s PID. It took a few moments, but then she got what she needed. "I found him, Bob!" Dot said, glancing over at the VidWindow   
  
“Where?”  
  
"Around Al's Diner!"  
  
"I'm on my way."  
  
Bob was already on his Zip Board. He immediately proceeded on his way to Al's Diner. Glitch's scanner allowed him to locate Matrix, and hopefully, Starwell.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix fluttered in memories. He was young again, so much younger, right when Bob first appeared in Mainframe, just Nanos after the destruction of the Twin city.  
  
Tears were opening everywhere. But this memory, this was a modification. A dream. There was no Dot, no Bob. But his father, his Scientist Father who believed in other Systems in the Net.  
  
Oh.

He remembered this one.

There were screams as bionomes panicked in the streets. The skies had gone game-mode dark, the cloud like fog swirling. Distinct cracks and sparks were set off as glimmers of fuzzing static tears floated everywhere.

It was the day after the destruction of the Twin City.

Matrix had this dream before. As a kid, he would have nightmares about it. He was too young to remember too much about the Twin City, save what Dot had told him. The old house, the young Sprites he used to play with, whose faces now where too blurry to remember. Small bits of grief would hit him in his youth, and it wasn't until the Game jumping that the actual grief had hit him.

Thousands of Sprites, men, women, children, nullified. The Twin City, now Lost Angles, was a null ground.

Now he stood in the mist of chaos, holding Dot's hand as the little child he had been so long ago. Bob should have appeared by now, he thought lucidly, where was he?

Dot kneeled down to him and set her hands on his shoulders.

And he realized.

This wasn't Dot. But the similarities were uncanny. She held a look on her face that proclaimed that he had all the love the world, a determined woman who would not have batted an eye at danger.

Matrix knew where Dot got it from then.

Then the woman said something. Matrix couldn't hear it, but he knew that it was sad and wonderful.

Why couldn't he hear the words?

The dream began to lose focus, and the woman began to blur into the existence of memory.

"Wait!" Matrix called out, awake, his hand jerked up as if to catch the moment.  
  
Starwell nearly jumped out of her bitmap when Matrix shouted. She ended up bumping her back against the opposite wall of the alley.  
  
"Guess you're awake now," she murmured. "Um... you okay?" She averted her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.  
  
For a moment, Matrix didn't register where he was. Then he remembered. He turned his head, and found her. "Starwell..."  
  
She scrambled to her feet, as if getting ready to sprint. She looked almost like he might punch her out or something. "Yeah," she said simply. She took a few steps away from him, then turned back to face him. She seemed slightly more comfortable with some space between them. "If you're okay," she said flatly, "I think... I'll be going now, and you should get out of here yourself."  
  
"I'm sorry," said Matrix.  
  
Starwell blinked, and hesitated again. "For what?" she asked. An apology was the last thing she'd been expecting.  
  
"For... A lot of things. For me being, well, Basic."  
  
Starwell’s eyelids flickered again, unsure what exactly that meant. But she was smart enough to figure out what it meant. "No," she whispered, shaking her head. "That Guardian was right about me. Don't you see? I've hurt her, and I hurt her System. And I've hurt Mainframe without even meaning to!"  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away. "I'm a monster, and I'll just hurt all of you if I'm not careful. Just... go back home! Stay away from me, and I'll stay where I can't hurt anybody again!"  
  
"You've nullified. I've deleted. I've erased. I've done worse."  
  
"But if you stick around me I might do worse accidentally," Starwell insisted, bitterly. "You don't know what I might be able to do, and neither do I. I... might end up deleting someone, someday."  
  
"I doubt that." Matrix stood, "I doubt you could purposely hurt even a null."  
  
Starwell shook her head stubbornly, refusing to listen. She felt something inside of her resisting the emotional wall she had put up; she fought back against it. "Just stay away from me." She turned and began to walk away.  
  
Matrix walked with her, "I just found you. I'm not going to leave you alone."  
  
Starwell began to walk faster, though Matrix‘s longer legs made it easy for him to keep pace with her regardless. "I didn't ask you to come find me," she said without looking at him. "If I wanted to be found, I would have gone back to the Principal's Office or something. I know the way."  
  
"That's why I went looking."  
  
She blinked, casting a quick glance over her shoulder as she continued to walk. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.  
  
"Because you don't want to be found by us. But all that does is make a perfect path for everything else to get you. You saw those things back there. There are much worse things on the Net, than a User."  
  
That actually made her pause. She stopped walking, considering that for a moment. Okay, so there were obviously some... weird dangers out there that she hadn't thought about. Yet for the most part... she had been left alone until he showed up.  
  
Then again, he had been able to find her, despite her best efforts to hide. And if he could find her, other things could, too. Ultimately, stealth was not one of her best gifts, apparently. Even with the presence of Gizmo.  
  
She sighed heavily and turned to face him now. Her shoulders were tense and stiff, and she stood rigidly before him. "Just why are you here?" she demanded, her voice a brittle edge. "Why do you care?"  
  
"No matter what you were, or are, you're a Mainframer. Mainframers stick together. My sister's words."  
  
Starwell pressed her lips into a thin line, as if biting back emotion. "I'm not," she stated. "I never was. I don't even belong on my Uncle's System either, but..." She sighed. "You wouldn't understand that."  
  
She knew there were a lot of things about her that he would never understand. Why? Because none of them understood that she was a real User. They thought she was just some weird program that had gotten lost and ended up in Mainframe. The most they seemed to figure out that was that she was made to emulate a User.  
  
And apparently... they were ready to adopt her into their city or something. They would never get it. The only one who got it was that crazy Guardian who wanted her proverbial head. "I'm not like you, any of you," she said bitterly, tears stinging her eyes again. "I can't even explain that to you." I'm an alien in your world, she thought. In your entire universe, even. I am an alien, in ways you can't understand!  
  
"Stay away from me!" She turned and began to run.  
  
"Starwell!” A voice that was not Matrix had called it; it came from overheard. “Hold up a nano!"  
  
Starwell glanced up, nearly tripping over her own foot as she came to an abrupt stop. She knew that voice... and she knew that sprite. It was Bob.  
  
"Just stay away from me!" she yelled. “Both of you!”  
  
Gizmo let out a series of beeps on her arm. It didn't seem especially pleased with the idea of her running from Bob. It still disliked Matrix to some degree (even if it had accepted his presence a little more) but Bob...  
  
It liked Bob. It wanted her to stay and listen to Bob. Gizmo was getting pretty sick and tired of the way Starwell kept running away from everyone. It could tell she was miserable, and it just wanted her to feel better.  
  
"Shut up, Gizmo," she hissed at the Keytool through gritted teeth. "I'm not talking to anyone, and I mean it!" She began to run again.  
  
However, she did not get far. When she got a little too close to some kind of pole in the middle of the street, Gizmo morphed into a pair of handcuffs. One cuff snapped firmly around her wrist and the other clicked around the pole.  
  
She was brought to an abrupt halt when her arm yanked. Stunned, she turned to look at what happened.  
  
For a moment she puzzled over the handcuffs. Did Bob or Matrix do this somehow?  
  
But then it clicked. Gizmo was missing, replaced by the handcuffs.  
  
"GIZMO!" she yelled, giving the handcuffs a firm yank. "CUT IT OUT!"  
  
Gizmo refused to let up in this matter. It remained exactly as it was.  
  
Matrix was walking in her direction, though he hesitated as Bob floated down from the sky and neared the pole. The Renegade folded his arms and watched from a distance.  
  
"Starwell,” Bob said to the girl, “Running from everybody isn't going to solve your problem."  
  
Starwell sighed. She gripped her hands tightly around the pole, resting her forehead lightly against it as she glanced at Bob.  
  
She scowled at Gizmo. I'm gonna get you for this later, she thought at it. If Gizmo could have razzed her, it would have. The User-Sprite continued to glare at it, then she looked away. She grimaced as she heard footfalls drawing nearer.


	35. Chapter 35

Bob had stepped off of his zip board and approached the girl. “Look,” he said in a reasonable tone, “the outcome of that game would've ended the way it did anyway, none of us were there to defeat the User or help with the game."  
  
"It's not just that," Starwell sighed. She pulled back from the pole, as far as her handcuffs would let her. "You just... I...."  
  
She pursed her lips into a thin line, making a face. "I don't think you understand," she said carefully. "I don't think you can understand. I tried to tell you something the day I first came to Mainframe. You know, when we first met, I tried to tell you..."  
  
She stopped. How was she supposed to say that she was a real User, when they just didn't seem to buy it? And what if it just made things worse if they did figure it out? Wouldn't they all hate her, like that female Guardian did?  
  
"I know." Bob gave a small nod.  
  
It took a moment for those two simple words to sink in. Starwell stared at him carefully, narrowing her eyes. "What do you mean... you know?" she asked. "Do you mean you know that I'm a...?”  
  
"Yes. I do." Bob spoke with sincerity.  
  
“And you don’t have a problem with me?” She stared at him, dumbfounded. The expression on his face wasn’t one of hatred, or even anger. He looked like his usual friendly, reasonable self. In fact, he seemed concerned about her. “That other Guardian has a problem with me…”  
  
“Well I don’t,” Bob assured her. “And no one else in Mainframe does, either.” He sighed. “There are going to be some people throughout the Net who don’t like Users, but you’re safe with us.” It seemed strange to him, that he would ever be having this kind of conversation with a… real User. But apparently he was. He looked into her eyes, silently communicating his sincerity. “I will keep you safe here, I promise,” he said warmly.  
  
Starwell closed her eyes. In spite of herself... the wall that had formed within her was starting to crumble, just a little. He knew she was a User. And he was still speaking to her. He... wasn't yelling at her like that other Guardian had.  
  
“You okay, kid?” Matrix asked, taking a few steps closer.  
  
“I… guess so.” Starwell was relieved to hear that Anna Code wouldn’t be coming after her anytime soon… so she hoped, at least. "So,” she said in a quieter tone, once again averting her gaze, “now that you guys know I’m a User…. What now?”  
  
"I want to bring you back to the Principal Office, and get you properly introduced to everybody." Bob smiled.  
  
Starwell stared at him for a moment. Then she let out a short laugh. But it wasn't a delighted sound, exactly. It was more of a release of tension. "Does that mean everybody else knows I'm a User, too?" she wanted to know.  
  
"They can take a guess, but I don't think anyone will pry."  
  
Starwell shook her head a little, gripping the pole firmly between her hands again. "I'm still not sure," she said stubbornly. "We both know I'm an alien here. And... I don't even know much about how you people... live."  
  
She gave him a meaningful look. "You know, we... us Users, I mean... we don't even know you people exist. I never knew anything like this existed!" She indicated the city around them. "I wouldn't have known, if I didn't end up in the Net."  
  
Gizmo, still in the form of handcuffs secured to the pole, sensed a change in Starwell's general mood. But it also sensed her stubbornness. It decided to act on behalf of what it felt was for her own good again. Even if, again, she didn't like it much.  
  
It retained its handcuff form, but the cuff that was clamped around the pole suddenly let go. However, the other cuff stayed firm around her wrist... and the newly freed cuff snapped around Bob's wrist.  
  
Gizmo then made its intentions clear; It wanted her to go with Bob. And it wasn't entirely convinced that she wouldn't run off again.  
  
Starwell sighed. “Gizmo…” she groaned. She eyed Bob warily. It managed to squeak at her a bit in handcuff form.  
  
She would have yanked it in displeasure, but she didn’t want to hurt Bob’s arm or wrist. “It seems like my little Keytool here wants me to go with you,” she grumbled. She disliked the fact that her freedom of choice had been taken away from her by a silly Keytool. Then again… it wasn’t like she was getting anywhere by running around alone in the Ghetto anyway…  
  
Bob gave a look at the cuffs, shook his head and shrugged. Matrix gave a little snort, then he moved a short distance away; the Renegade called up a VidWindow to contact AndrAIa. After the pretty sprite’s features filled the Window, he began to fill her in… and ask her why in the Net the kitchen looked like multiple tears had exploded within it. This lead to the sound of Cecil yelling somewhere in the background and AndrAIa explaining how an experimental recipe had gone horribly wrong.  
  
Bob and Starwell were aware of the commotion, but Bob figured Matrix could handle it. Whatever happened at the Diner was his responsibility, after all, and Bob had Starwell to look after.  
  
Plus the Guardian had a pressing question on his processor…  
  
"So Users aren't aware of us?" he asked.  
  
Starwell sighed. She was also becoming more aware that her two sides, Hannah and "Starwell", had apparently integrated to the point where she couldn't tell which one was speaking or which one was currently active inside her head.  
  
"Nope," she answered. "I think things would be a lot different if... we were aware of you people." She cast the hand-cuffs another annoyed look, but it didn't seem to show any sign of letting up or changing back into its Keytool shape.   
  
She looked at the screen-like thing that hovered before Matrix, taking a closer look at it. She couldn't help but stare curiously at it... what was it? A "VidWindow?" That word was displayed at the top of it.  
  
"So that's really how you talk to people from a distance," she commented quietly to Bob. She then remembered when Ray used one briefly, shortly after they had arrived at the Principal Office with Mouse. That already seemed like an eternity ago. "That's your cell phone," she added wryly, remembering that Bob didn't know what that term meant when she referred to it before.  
  
Bob looked mildly intrigued. "So, cell phones are what Users call their VidWindows?"  
  
The handcuffs twitched a little. For some reason, Gizmo seemed to respond a bit whenever the subject of cell phones were discussed. She made a mental note to ask it about that later.  
  
The User-sprite chuckled in spite of herself. "Yeah, you could say that," she said. "But... they're not really the same thing. Communication devices, yeah, but not like that."  
  
She sighed. "I remember you told me that there were a lot of things you wish you could ask a User," she said thoughtfully. She then gave him a dry smirk. "What's the most pressing question you've always been dying to ask?" she wondered, almost curiously.  
  
Part of her still wanted to get away from these people and be by herself. But her resolve had crumbled, and... well, Gizmo wasn't letting her go anywhere.  
  
The Guardian looked thoughtful. "There's a lot…” He scratched the back of his head with his free hand. “Let me think, should I ask about the creation of the Net or everybody's purpose?"  
  
Oh brother. Starwell squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.  
  
"That's a very big question," she said, almost sheepishly. "I mean, both of those are big questions." To Hannah, it was... like the question one would ask a god. Or God. Hannah herself wasn't sure if she even believed in a deity, and yet...  
  
Since humans made the sprites and their homes... who was to say that someone didn't make humans? Still, this wasn't the time or the place to think about that.  
  
"Uh...." She scratched the back of her neck with her free hand. "That might take a while to explain, I guess," she finally said.  
  
"I've got time."  
  
Starwell cocked her head to one side, looking at him thoughtfully. Bob definitely had the look of someone... curious, who wanted to know. He also had a look in his eyes right now... intense curiosity, definitely, but maybe a little of something else, too.  
  
Awe, maybe? She wasn't quite sure how to identify it.  
  
"Well if it's all the same to you," she stated, "I'd rather not talk about it out here." She gave the Gizmo-cuffs a stern look. "Gizmo..." she stated firmly.  
  
She could almost swear the hand-cuffs growled. "I'm not going to run off," she snapped. "Now cut it out." There was a moment's hesitation. Then, apparently deciding to trust her word, Gizmo released both of their wrists and returned to its Keytool shape, then returned to her arm.  
  
Starwell then held her arm near her face, squinting at the little device. "I'm not even sure where this little guy came from," she commented honestly, to no one in particular.  
  
"I suppose we need to head back to the Principal Office,” Bob said. He seemed to accept that the discussion about Users and why they made everything would wait. “I'll get you a zip board.”  
  
"I don't like zip boards," Starwell complained. "Last time I tried using one I plastered the side of a building with my face.”  
  
"I could always get my car," said Bob, as Matrix walked up from behind. Neither of them had noticed that Matrix had finished his VidWindow conversation.  
  
"A car sounds good," Starwell said with a shrug. She eyed Matrix as the big, muscular sprite joined them.   
  
She was silent a moment, trying to analyze her feelings. How did she feel now? Did she really feel all that different after Bob's pep talk... and his admission that her being a User didn't bother him?  
  
Maybe in a way she did. She knew she still had friends, at least. But... that still didn't take away the sting of the female Guardian's words... or the knowledge of what she'd done. She had still nullified, in her Uncle's system and in Mainframe. Even if it was unintentional.  
  
She sighed, folding her arms and staring down at her shoes. She... still didn't feel all that well about herself.  
  
Bob got on his Zip Board, "I'll be back, you two."  
  
Starwell watched as Bob left. Then she slowly turned to look at Matrix.  
  
"So," she said meekly, scuffing her shoe against the ground, "uh... have a nice talk with your girlfriend?"  
  
Matrix leaned on one leg, "Yeah."  
  
A short, awkward silence passed between them.  
  
"Um..." Starwell coughed a little. "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. I mean... I guess you really do care if you came to look for me." She glanced away, looking bashful.  
  
“Yeah well… like I said,” Matrix grunted, “we Mainframers stick together.” He folded his arms. “Couldn’t have you running around out here all alone.” He glanced around the area, shaking his head slightly at the worn buildings, some of them nearly barren. The streets were somewhat littered; an empty cup rolled by them. “Besides,” he said thoughtfully, “there are much better places to be than this dump.”  
  
Starwell scuffed her shoe against the ground. The mannerism reminded Matrix of something he might have done when he was much younger. “Yeah well… I got by down here,” she stated. “I mean, it’s not very fun but I’ve survived.”  
  
“Kid, you don’t want to live like this when you really don’t have to,” Matrix pointed out firmly. “Trust me on that one.” He knew what he was talking about. He didn’t regret a moment of what happened in the games, nor did AndrAIa; he’d needed to become bigger and stronger to defeat Megabyte, and nowadays he used his strength and skills to protect the system.  
  
But he didn’t want that life for his younger brother, his copy. And he didn’t want it for this girl, either.  
  
Matrix glanced around, wondering how much longer it would be until Bob got there. He knew that the Virals or whatever those had been were still around somewhere. He made a mental note to warn Bob about them, and his sister. At the moment he kept a watchful eye on the area.   
  
“So… what happens now?” Starwell asked. “I mean, I want to go home. But…” She bit her lower lip, as if fighting back tears. “Is it possible? Will you guys still help me?” Her eyes were wide and pleading.  
  
“We’ll talk about that when we get to the Principal Office,” Matrix replied. “But,” he added when her expression became too pitiful for even him to ignore, “it looks like we’ll be able to… eventually. Just might take a while.”  
  
Starwell gushed and moved toward him on impulse; she hugged him. “Thank you, thank you,” she said in delight.  
  
Before Matrix could say anything, Gizmo ruined the heartfelt moment by making a rude noise. It sounded distinctly like the Keytool equivalent of someone sticking their finger down their throat and gagging in disgust.  
  
“You know something?” Starwell said, actually removing the Keytool from her arm and glaring at it. “I’ve just about had it up to here with you. I think I should throw you away!” She drew her arm back, as if preparing to follow through on that threat.  
  
Gizmo responded by wailing almost comically.  
  
Starwell lowered her arm and surprised even herself by laughing out loud. “I’m… just… kidding!” she managed to choke out in-between guffaws, as she put the Keytool back on her arm. It nestled into place, seeming relieved.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, she almost thought she saw Matrix shaking his head. He did have a mildly amused smirk on his face.  
  
By the time Bob finally arrived with the car, Starwell had already recovered from her silly giggles and once again withdrawn into a mildly, reserved distance. She eyed the car curiously for a moment, noting the fact that it could fly and that it had no tires.  
  
Did everything in this world fly? She resisted the urge to ask the question. She was still trying to come to terms with everything that had happened, and she was in no mood to talk.  
  
Bob lounged back casually in the driver’s seat, one arm draped over the back of the seat. “Well, get in,” he invited in a friendly tone. “Let’s split and head to the Principal Office.”  
  
Starwell hesitated momentarily, as if not sure where to sit. Sometimes, in her own family, there would be arguments over who got to drive and who got to ride shotgun, as if sitting in the back seat was a form of disgrace. After all, sitting upfront made you “cool”, especially if you were driving; the back seat was where little kids sat.  
  
Matrix solved her dilemma by matter-of-factly hopping into the backseat, just behind the front passenger seat. “Come on, Starwell, you can sit up here,” Bob said, indicating the seat beside him.  
  
“Okay,” Starwell nodded, and she braced herself against the side of the car, giving her legs a swung as she hopped into it. “Nice convertible,” she remarked as the engine purred and rumbled.  
  
“Thanks,” Bob said with a smile. “It’s a 262, and it’s taken me a long time to get it running right, but now it’s humming like a well-tuned processor.” He gripped the steering wheel and touched the gear shift; a moment later they were moving.  
  
Matrix snorted. “Only because AndrAIa gave you a hand,” he said pointedly.  
  
“Eh… yeah,” Bob said with a sheepish cough. “I still don’t know how she fixed it,” he commented.  
  
“She’s really fond of bikes,” Matrix said, “but she knows something about cars, too.”  
  
The Renegade sobered. “Bob, there’s something I need tell you,” he said, and then he gave a brief summary of what happened after he found Starwell at Al’s, and what followed.  
  
Bob listened intently, though he kept his eyes on where he was going. “That sounds odd,” he commented. “I’ll ask Dot to run another system scan when we get to the Principal Office.”  
  
“So that blue guy in the trench coat was you?” Starwell craned her neck to look at Matrix.  
  
“Yeah,” Matrix admitted.  
  
“Wow… I didn’t even recognize you.” Starwell frowned. “How did you do that?”  
  
“A little help from my friends.” Matrix leaned back in his seat. “I figured you wouldn’t let me get close if you knew who I was.”  
  
“Yeah… I probably wouldn’t have.” Starwell glanced away, pressing her lips together.  
  
“Well, we found you and that’s all that matters now,” Bob said. “So Matrix, did you get a good look at--”  
  
“Yeah, it looked like Megabyte… but different.” Matrix interjected. “At least… kind of. But the voice was different and he looked really odd.” The Guardian frowned, troubled.   
  
“Bob,” Matrix said, “you mentioned that you had seen Megabyte in the Olden Pages Game while I was offline. That must mean he’s still out there somewhere!” He self-consciously glanced at his hand again, making sure it was still green. He didn’t have to worry; he had taken care of the Infection.   
  
“What? You saw Megabyte in that game?” Starwell asked. She remembered Matrix mentioning the virus when he told her his life story back in the cell they shared together in the game. Not to mention she’d heard several individuals talking about a Megabyte when she roamed the Ghetto. Apparently the virus really had done enough terrible things to stick in everyone’s memory.  
  
“Only for a microsecond,” Bob answered. “He just said something about a hunt, and that he wanted it to be on home turf.”  
  
“Didn’t he also say something about a ‘surprise’?” Matrix asked.  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
“What does that mean?” Starwell asked. “Why didn’t I see him in the game?”  
  
“Because somehow he spoke through Matrix while he was unconscious and while you were sleeping,” Bob answered.   
  
“But I was scanned at the Principal Office,” Matrix stated. “Why wouldn’t it detect an infection?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Bob answered. He didn’t like this or what it implied. “Maybe we need to upgrade our scanners in the infirmary, or maybe Megabyte removed his infection when he left you to avoid detection.”  
  
“Have you ever known Megabyte to un-infect someone once he’s infected somebody?” Matrix narrowed his eyes.  
  
“Well, maybe he’s found some way to mask his presence when he’s not actively using an infected sprite… I don’t know.” Bob shook his head, running out of ways to explain it. “We’ll run another system scan and beef up patrols,” Bob said. “Maybe I should get in touch with Anna Code as well, in case she’s seen anything.”  
  
Starwell stiffened visibly at the mention of that name. “She’s still around?” the girl asked, somewhat nervously.  
  
“Don’t worry,” Bob assured her, “I’m keeping an eye on her.”  
  
“Where did Code end up going, anyway?” Matrix wanted to know.   
  
Bob glanced in his direction. “The last trace I ran showed her PID was located somewhere in Los Angles.”  
  
Matrix scowled. “What is she doing there?”  
  
“It’s okay. I flew over there last second, and it looked like she was trying to cleanse the Island of stray viral code bits.”  
  
“I don’t like this.” Matrix shook his head. “She could be up to something. She was near the island when the Phoenix Virus came toward us.”  
  
“Which means,” Bob said confidently, “that she’s taking her duties as a Guardian seriously. She’s making sure nothing else comes out of Hex’s old lair.”  
  
“It wouldn’t surprise me if she set it off in the first place,” Matrix said. Everybody knew that as long as the bugs, traps and small viruses remained dormant within Hexadecimal’s old lair, nothing would happen. A thorough cleanse of the Island had been due for a long time but no one had gotten around to it.  
  
They had only one Guardian after all, and Bob had other duties to attend to.  
  
“If that happened… I’m sure it was an accident,” Bob said, giving the other Guardian the benefit of the doubt.  
  
“If you say so,” Matrix grumped.   
  
Starwell remained silent; she had nothing to add and she didn’t even know what to think. Her mind had been pretty guilt-ridden over the past few seconds. All she could think of when it came to the female Guardian were those furious eyes… and those powerful hands around her throat as the sprite had attempted to choke her.  
  
Starwell practically slouched in the back seat of Bob's car as the Guardian drove--or flew, or whatever you called it in this strange world. She largely ignored the conversation between Bob and Matrix as they chatted, even when they tried to draw her into their conversation.   
  
She knew they were just trying to be polite, especially Bob. But she wasn't in the mood to talk. She was still trying to process everything.  
  
No one hated her. That was a concept she was still trying to grasp. She wasn't sure what kind of reception she had imagined if anyone had found her. Perhaps she thought she would be locked up somewhere, or worse--especially if Anna Code had any say over the matter.  
  
She pressed her hand against her temple. The truth was, she still felt bad about everything. And somehow... knowing that the Mainframers had forgiven her--or at least, they were being understanding--made it worse.   
  
Gizmo beeped softly, making an attempt to soothe her, just as it had been trying to do for the past couple of seconds. Starwell grunted and gave it a look. She was still a little peeved at the whole handcuff incident.  
  
Bob glanced over his shoulder in her direction. He seemed about to say something--but then the sky darkened in a familiar, ominous way that was becoming all-too-familiar to Starwell.  
  
It was quickly accompanied by the System Voice announcing, "WARNING, INCOMING GAME."  
  
"Ugggghhhhh," Starwell groaned vocally and slouched further into her seat. The Game cube was descending rapidly toward them. "Damn it!" Starwell practically shouted. "Doesn't this User have something better to do than play these stupid games?!"  
  
"Wouldn't know," said Matrix from shotgun, he turned back to Starwell, "Do you?"  
  
"I'm sorry about this Starwell, but we're going to need to enter the game," said Bob, clearly steering towards the street the Game Cube would land on.  
  
Starwell growled under her breath. She gritted her teeth as the car set down. Once it landed, she sat up straighter; her eyes widened as she looked up at the fluid-like, purple energy that came down straight toward them.  
  
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not doing this again!" She jumped out of the car and began to run.  
  
But it was already too late; the Game cube completed its descent, sealing her inside. "NO!" she yelled as complete frustration threatened to overtake her. "I'm NOT doing this again!" A strangled noise escaped her throat as a fresh wave of guilt and anguish washed through her.  
  
She wouldn't nullify another sector. She just wouldn't!


	36. Chapter 36

"Starwell? Matrix?"   
  
Bob found himself alone. The environment was metallic and futuristic, the lights were either dark or dim. The ambiance was quiet, with the slight breeze of artificial air.  
  
A Sci-Fi Game, been a while since he landed in one of those.  
  
"Glitch Stats."  
  
The game was called Horns. They were on a derelict space station, and the object of the game was to survive the levels, defeat the final boss, and escape the station before it crashed into the nearby planet. Time limit for escaping the station didn’t come until after the final boss, of which Bob was grateful for. The entire station was filled with alien monsters and rampant robots.  
  
Starwell was on Level 1. Bob was somewhere on Level 2. He couldn't find Matrix, but he did find that the renegade at already rebooted.  
  
Well, only one thing to do... Bob tapped his icon, "ReBoot!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00

Starwell ignored Gizmo's insistent beeping as she slowly sat down on the floor, burying her face into her hands.  
  
At first she refused to even look around. She wanted absolutely no part of this. Perhaps this was a sign she should have stayed in the Ghetto despite what Bob and Matrix were trying to do.  
  
Gizmo beeped again, taking on a shrill edge.  
  
"Oh shut up!" Starwell snapped, temper flaring. "I'm not going to do anything! I don't even want to talk about this Game!" She scooted herself against a wall and folded her arms stubbornly. "I'm just going to stay out of the way. Let Bob and Matrix handle this, wherever they are."  
  
A loud noise caught her attention, causing her to start and gasp. Something came crashing through a vent in a nearby wall, and something came rushing toward her.  
  
She had no idea what it was. It looked vaguely humanoid, except heavily mutated. It looked diseased, it wore no clothing, and it gave a guttural snarl as it came in her direction.  
  
She screamed. She scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping over her own shoes as she scrambled toward a nearby door.  
  
The thing grabbed her by the ankles as she stumbled, clawing at her legs. She gasped and kicked it in the forehead; it roared, and brought down its hand solidly on her back.  
  
Gizmo shrieked.  
  
"HELP!" she screamed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix had Rebooted into a Unique character.  
  
It wasn't like he had never been Unique Characters before. This one just wasn't the game-sprites hunting about. The difference was that he was being attacked by those Game-sprites. His Unique Character served under a different category in this Game type. He doubted Bob or any other trapped Mainframer had ended up with the same luck.  
  
Worse, Matrix recognized this kind of Game. The rare Horror Genre. In the few times in his life that He had been in this kind of Game, it ended in horribly damaged systems or something else gone wrong.  
  
He had rebooted into armor, characterized to some of the placeable-object "corpses" he'd found in various stages of destruction. The Armor was torn, bloodstained, and he was certain it was mostly for appearance. Clearly meant for visual for the User. Its dark appearance, however, means that Matrix had more of a chance against said User. His helmet even had a targeting system with ammo and health count.  
  
One of the few things he did like about this kind of Game, everything would be against the User.  
  
Gun had certainly changed, into a gun like object that would fire blade-like projectiles that would cut through almost anything. Almost.  
  
He had been going down a corridor, likely near where the User would spawn, when he heard the scream.  
  
At first, he thought it may have been just the Game acting on a scripted event. But he recognized the voice.  
  
Starwell.  
  
Matrix bounded down in the direction of the scream.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"GIZMO DO SOMETHING!" Starwell yelled. Gizmo responded by releasing an electrical jolt, one that only effected the monster.  
  
It snarled and loosened its grip enough for the User-sprite to slip out of its grasp. She staggered to her feet and made a mad dash for the door with the creature on her heels.  
  
She stumbled out into a corridor of some kind, a metallic corridor that split off into three directions. She hesitated, unsure which way she should go. Did it matter? Or would she end up hurting someone by accident if she made a wrong move?  
  
Gizmo shrieked, and she realized too late that her hesitation had allowed the creature to catch up. She yelped and ducked just in time before it could cuff her. She kicked at its torso; it staggered backward. It opened its mouth and let out a dull roar, a mixture of saliva and blood spitting from its mutated mouth.  
  
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Starwell screamed, hastily backing away from it.  
  
With the path of the screams, Matrix hurried quickly. He was surprised that with all his running, he hadn't been ambushed by game-sprites.  
  
Speaking of which...  
  
Down the corridor, he found on. It was one of the humanoid types, the kind that looked almost like a sprite from the Net, almost. It if weren't for the obvious game-graphics, Matrix may have hesitated out of reluctance that he may accidentally shoot a friend instead of an enemy. But he wasn't that foolish.  
  
He fired upon it. The reddish-crimson blades of energy cut into the game-sprite, decapitating an arm and its head. Simulated red fluids spurted out, and stained the floor. Matrix never under stood what the red liquid was, he always thought that maybe it was a type of liquid energy. Seemed strange for it to spurt out like that.  
  
He came closer to the new corpse, and to the source of the screaming.  
  
Starwell's eyes were as wide as saucers. She stared down at the bloodied corpse, clamping a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming again.  
  
She then saw another figure coming toward her. She shrieked softly, backing away--until Gizmo beeped at her. She hesitated, glancing down at her Keytool, and then she looked back at the approaching figure.  
  
Then she noticed the eye, with the familiar M-shape on it. Of course, how could she have not recognized him? Then again, she was still trying to get used to these Games, and the different formats. No one from her world had ever conceived of, well, people (or sentient programs) going into a Game and then becoming part of it.  
  
She breathed heavily, in and out, and then she sank down onto the floor.   
  
Gizmo clicked and whirred.  
  
"I know there's more of those things out there," Starwell hissed at it. "But I don't want to move unless I have to." She was adamant about not causing any more trouble for Mainframe.  
  
Matrix let out a sigh, and lowered his gun.  
  
"Why in the Net am I not surprised," Matrix said aloud and sarcastically, his voice partially modified from his helmet, "I thought I didn't need to save your ASCII anymore."  
  
He let a tone of humor enter his voice.  
  
She glared up at him. Thankfully, Gizmo had the decency to stay silent for once.  
  
After a moment, her face softened and she looked down at the floor. The texture was a bit odd in this area; the floors and wall were metallic and a tad rusted in places, coated with the bodily fluids from the fresh kill.  
  
"Yeah, well..." She cleared her throat and stood. "Don't you have a Game to win?" she folded her arms and leaned against the wall, making it plain she was going to stay right there. If she got attacked again, well... she would just remember to use Gizmo better in the future.  
  
Matrix checked Gun. Only three shots before he needed to find a charging station. There must be one somewhere around here.... "Yeah, I do," Matrix rolled his shoulders, "If you're here, so is the User. I plan to--  
  
A blast of a small, laser like blue bullet caught Matrix in the side. The force slammed into the nearby wall. By the Net, he just found the User. He let out a curse. The User appeared to be just as graphic as a sprite from the Net. With no Helmet, and wielding what looked to be a thin rifle attached to a metal backpack like box attached to his back. His stare was blank, his body stature generic.  
  
"You son of a Snivitz!" Matrix yelled at him. Another bullet ricocheted off the wall, forcing Matrix to hit the floor. He fired two of his bullets, in hopes of ending this quickly.  
  
They hit the User. Nothing happened.  
  
The User fired again, and Matrix received another bullet. This one hit the mark that the first had only scrapped. Matrix gritted his teeth against the pain.  
  
The User seemed to stare at him for a few nanos, before moving on to some other corridor.  
  
Matrix propped himself up against the wall, holding his side. Health bars in his helmet display showed that he had lost half of them. Something red trickled down from his covering arm. It seemed like the same stuff that came from the game-sprite...  
  
He never did like it when theses games put visuals to cyber space occupants.  
  
Starwell trembled, having scrambled out of the way when the User Avatar had appeared. Gizmo had taken a barely coherent whimper from her as a cry for help; a protective shield had formed around her. Thankfully though, the User didn't seem interested in her... either it hadn't noticed her, or it didn't deem her a significant target.  
  
She waited until the User was out of sight, then she scrambled toward Matrix and kept herself low. She reached out, as if wanting to touch him or check his injury, but then she yanked her hand back as if fearing she might accidentally nullify him.  
  
"I'm so sorry," she started stammering. She felt a strong urge to apologize on behalf of the User. "I'm really sorry, he--or she--doesn't even know what he's doing."   
  
She glared in the direction that the User had gone. "YOU'RE HURTING PEOPLE IN HERE YOU JERK!" she bellowed. It made her feel guilty all over again, too, knowing what she had done when she had played Games... how many times had she done this sort of thing herself, without knowing it?  
  
"Keep quiet, you'll alert everything else around here," Matrix grunted. He pulled his hand away from his wound. Red liquid dripped from it. Energy shouldn't look red in the first place... "What is this?" He asked aloud, "Some sort of energy or something...?"  
  
"Uh, that's blood," Starwell said, grimacing in disgust. "These Games are meant to, um... emulate how a human--erm, User's--body really works if its cut into."  
  
Gizmo beeped a few times, as if thinking out loud.  
  
Starwell sighed in irritation. "I doubt Matrix wants to hear about biological viruses or how they're different from system viruses," she commented.   
  
Then she blinked. And she eyed Gizmo with newfound interest. "Hey you know more about my world than I thought," she commented.   
  
"How thoughtful. Help me up."  
  
Starwell twitched nervously. She licked her lips, then carefully grasped his arm and braced herself firmly, bending her knees as she helped him haul himself up. He was a lot bigger, and heavier, than she was after all.  
  
Once she was sure he had his balance, she backed away hastily. "I'm really sorry," she said again, still unable to overcome her feeling of guilt completely. "I just... ugh, I hate this! I can't even talk to this User and tell him that he's hurting you and other people! I..." She trailed off, biting her lower lip.  
  
Gizmo beeped at her, attempting to sooth her nerves and ease her anguish.  
  
"Stop that," Matrix warned, "You start feeling sorry for yourself, you're going to get someone nullified." Matrix used the wall for balance, he needed to find a Health station and a charging station, "You coming?"  
  
She shook her head stubbornly. "No... I'm gonna stay here. You're better off without me." She too a couple of steps back. "Like you said, I can nullify somebody here. I've done already, you know."  
  
Matrix sighed, "I'm not leaving you here, Pup." He leaned heavily on the side not injured.  
  
"But what if I hurt you or somebody else?" Starwell swallowed. "Maybe if you and Bob had left me in the ghetto I wouldn't be here right now. I've already hurt a lot of Mainframers without even trying!"  
  
"Are you doing that now?" Matrix didn't feel patient, he felt tired. He didn't need to snap at the girl, but he felt exasperated. He half wished Bob was here, he'd know what to do about this.  
  
"Well... no," Starwell admitted with a frown. "But..."   
  
Gizmo beeped a few times. Starwell glanced at it, then patted it affectionately. "I know," she whispered. "It's just..."  
  
She looked up at Matrix, meeting his eyes with hers. "I'm scared," she said. "I feel like a bull in a china shop. Isn't this why you didn't like me when you first met me? I already did what you feared I would do."  
  
"My dad's a Null," Matrix admitted, "He wasn't nullified by a User or anything. Twin city blew up when I was a kid, and it nullified him. He's fine now. We're close to finding a way to reverse nullification or something."  
  
"R-really?" Starwell said in astonishment. She stared down at her shoes for a moment as she processed this. "Then... maybe it's not as... unfixable as I thought," she breathed, a feeling of hope and relief welling up inside her chest. Maybe she could talk to Uncle Frank about this sometime, too... if she ever saw him again. He might be able to come up with something to help.  
  
"So, are you coming Pup?"  
  
Starwell still seemed hesitant.  
  
Gizmo hissed at her, urging her forward. It personally felt that Starwell would be better off with Matrix; it might even make the Game progress more quickly. It felt that it was within both of their best interests to get out as soon as possible.  
  
"Alright," she exclaimed at both of them. "I'm coming."   
  
She slowly moved up to stand beside Matrix, and folded her arms. "So um... after the User is taken care of, I can just quit the Game like before. I won't do anything to try to win, and I won't get in your way. I promise." A guilt-stricken look remained present in the back of her eyes.  
  
"Then lets go already." Matrix half-limped down the corridor. With one shot left, there wasn't a lot of chances for surviving. Where was Bob when you needed him?  
  
Something clanked further down the corridor and in the darkness. Matrix cursed.  
  
Gizmo had already detected it, since its scanner was running. Within the Games, it seemed that the Keytool's sensor capability had a heightened sensitivity.   
  
"Huh?" Starwell whispered, holding her arm closer to her ear as Gizmo beeped softly. The Keytool didn't want whatever was coming to hear them.  
  
"Uh oh..." The User-sprite clutched Matrix's arm. "Gizmo says there's something big coming... and it's with a bunch of little something’s!"  
  
"Shovelware..." Matrix cursed. Something came from the darkness. The Game-sprite, Matrix couldn't describe it. It was some sort of thing with mandibles and fleshy blades everywhere. Smaller crab-like and some snake-like things were swarming around its.... feet.  
  
Matrix hated having to run from a fight. "Lets move!" He grabbed Starwell's arm and retreated in the opposite direction.  
  
"Ow!" Starwell protested. His firm grip didn't really hurt, she simply didn't like being grabbed or hurried along--though the urgency of the matter caused her to move her legs and keep up with his pace.  
  
The giant creature roared thunderously behind them. The entire corridor seemed to tremble as the thing lumbered behind them. It was getting closer; Matrix could only go so fast with his injuries.  
  
To make matters worse, the smaller things that Gizmo had detected were coming closer as well. They were snake-like things, which almost reminded her of nulls, except they were dark, scaly, and they each had a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Some of them even had two heads.  
  
One of them came up to Starwell and latched onto her heel, needle-like teeth piercing into her flesh--or bitmap. She cried out and kicked her foot out, trying to throw it off; it held on securely.  
  
"GET IT OFF!" Starwell yelled, slowing both of them down even more. The giant beast was still coming, and the little, snake-like creatures began to slither around Matrix's feet.  
  
"There!" Matrix slammed into an oncoming doorway, it opened in nanos. He pulled Starwell inside, and he jammed the door shut. It locked. Pain over came him, and he leaned onto the door and slumped the ground. For a moment the world was blur...  
  
Starwell shrieked, her entire focus momentarily fixed on the creature that was still latched onto her ankle. She stamped her foot on it, and then stamped it again.  
  
The creature finally let go. It fell onto the floor and opened its mouth wide in a long, shrill hiss. "GIZMO KILL IT!" Starwell yelled. A sharp, electrical pulse shot from the Keytool and fried the creature. Fitting in with the horrific theme of the Game, it turned into a small, scorched clump of smoldering flesh that began to smell up the room.  
  
"Ewwwww...." Starwell pinched her nose closed between two fingers, coughing.   
  
Then she turned her attention to Matrix. "Hey... hey, you okay?" She gently touched his shoulders. "Come on, say something!" Unsure what to do, she began to remove his helmet. Would it be possible to check his pulse or something?  
  
Health bar red, once half, now down to a quarter. Great, leave it to the game to have a Health Drain effect. Things were fuzzy, Matrix kept having to blink black spots away. He took a breath. "What you want me to say, Pup?"  
  
Starwell sighed, sitting back on her haunches. "Maybe I can help somehow," she said. "Uh... Gizmo, can you help? Please?"  
  
Gizmo was silent for a moment, as though processing that request. It then beeped, and it leaped off of Starwell's arms and changed shape, forming a metal-like band that snapped around Matrix's exposed neck.  
  
Starwell nearly dropped his helmet. "Gizmo what are you doing?" she asked, shocked.  
  
However, Gizmo wasn't choking him. It was... attempting to raise his health bar and injecting him with a small portion of its own energy.  
  
Matrix jerked away, and spat up something both blue and gray. For a moment, his form flickered.  
  
"Don't- Don't do that," he huffed, "You'll overload me."  
  
Gizmo immediately ceased what it was doing.   
  
"Gizmo, get back here," Starwell snapped in a commanding tone she had not yet used. Gizmo twitched, as though a little surprised, but it knew she meant business. It moved away from Matrix and returned to its original shape, then re-attached itself to her arm.  
  
Starwell sighed. "Okay, um..." She gently put his helmet back on him. "Maybe the monster has moved on. Why don't you stay here, and..." She swallowed, glancing uncertainly toward the door. "I'll see if I can find some portable health or something."   
  
"You, walk out there? Reboot first. Then I'll consider moving."  
  
Starwell blinked. "ReBoot?" she asked. "Uh... that's the thing you do when you tap your Icon, right?" She glanced down at herself, then back at him. "I don't have an icon. How am I supposed to do that?" she wanted to know.  
  
"Try your Keytool."  
  
Starwell sighed stubbornly. "I don't know about this," she said. "I'm already a risk factor because I'm a second User in this game. I don't want something that'll make me more powerful or more dangerous."  
  
Gizmo beeped at her. "I don't care," she said. "I don't want to risk carrying around weapons. I don't even like doing that in my own world." That felt very weird to say, especially since she never minded shooting the hell out of things in Games before...  
  
But then, that was back before she knew what she knew now.  
  
"You afraid of deletion then?" Matrix spat out more blue and gray liquid, "I never said you had to win the game."  
  
She sighed. "Look, I just want to try this on my own first before I Reboot, okay?" she told him snippily. She stood. "I've already been a werewolf in that first Game, and I don't want to turn into something weird by Rebooting. Besides," she patted her Keytool, "I've got Gizmo to help me."  
  
She began to inch toward the door. "Just stay there... I'll be back in a jiffy."  
  
"...Fine, don't be stupid out there." Matrix scooted out of the doorway. He reclined on a box, occasionally spitting out blue and gray liquid.  
  
Starwell swallowed, and nodded. She then quietly slipped out the door.  
  
Thankfully the corridor was empty. Apparently the giant monster and its little companions had moved on. She took a deep breath and began to creep down the hall.  
  
After a couple of twists and turns of moving slowly, she came to a different room. This one appeared to be a control room of some kind... and it looked as though several murders had already been committed.  
  
Seven bodies lay strewn about on the floor, broken and twisted. Blood was splattered about on the floor and walls like paint. One of the bodies was ripped and shattered; the spots of blood above it on the ceiling indicated how gory that one's death had been.  
  
"Oh my God..." Starwell's shoulder blades thumped heavily against the wall as she squeezed her eyes shut. She was dangerously close to hyper-ventilating or puking.  
  
Gizmo clicked and whirred, concerned. It was also trying to get her to focus on the task at hand.  
  
"I'm okay... oh..." She clamped a hand over her mouth, then held her breath for a moment. What was with this stupid game? Did she really have to smell the gore around her, too?  
  
Gizmo beeped again, more insistently. Apparently there was a portable health boost nearby, on the other side of the room.  
  
"Okay, okay..." she breathed in through her mouth, refusing to inhale through her nose. She tried her best not to look at the gore as she tip-toed forward, making a face as she stepped over the badly ripped body, and moved around to the other side of a terminal.  
  
And there was the health boost, a box-like item that sat on the floor in the corner of the room. But there was something next to it. It was curled up on the floor, a humanoid-like creature that was covered in scales. She gulped, but it did not move. She assumed that meant it was dead, or at least asleep.  
  
She took a tentative step forward, but Gizmo hissed a warning. She froze.  
  
Then the creature stirred. It looked up at her; it had only one eye. The other socket on its face was empty.  
  
It opened its mouth to hiss, and then it pounced. Starwell found herself pinned against the floor with the creature clawing at her face and chest.


	37. Chapter 37

"GIZMO, REBOOT!" she bellowed, and then there was a bright flash of light. A mere nano later, the creature no longer found itself biting and clawing flesh and cloth, but smooth metallic armor.  
  
Starwell slammed an armored fist against the creature's head--it jumped off of her, stunned. She then jumped up, responding to the intuitive instincts she had been coded with.  
  
She whirled on the creature, instinctively yanking a small gun off of her belt. She pointed it directly between the creature's eyes. "Just back off," she warned. "Don't make me do this!"  
  
It didn't listen. It lunged.  
  
She fired.  
  
Gore splattered in all directions as its head blew off of its neck. Greenish blood plastered the front of her own armor like hot, sticky paint. Starwell stood there, frozen for a long moment. Then she took a few steps back.  
  
A couple of nanos later, she was walking back down the corridor with the health boost in hand. Thankfully it was an uneventful walk back to the room where Matrix was. She just barely made it to the door to that room when it happened. Her knees gave out as shock finally kicked in, and her stomach released its contents on the floor.  
  
She was then grateful for two things. That Matrix hadn't seen that, and that she wasn't wearing a helmet. She sighed. Vomiting was never fun. It made her stomach hurt.  
  
Wearing what the game called engineer armor, holding a miner's weapons, the sprite had been following the other rather strange User. It did seem very odd, this game wasn't supposed to have two Users.  
  
Starwell remained exactly where she was for a long moment. Her insides hurt and she still tasted bile in her mouth.   
  
"Just... need... another moment," she said out loud, to no one in particular.  
  
Gizmo gave a series of short beeps, though not in acknowledgement of what she said. Someone or something was coming.  
  
"Great," Starwell muttered, getting shakily to her feet. She slowly turned... and blinked.  
  
"Uh..." She tensed, not quite sure what to do. It was the User Avatar, coming straight toward her. She looked into its eyes, suddenly imagining herself sitting at a keyboard and staring at her surroundings as they appeared on a monitor screen.  
  
"Hi," she said, giving a little wave. Gizmo hissed a warning. "Shh," she hissed back. Well, she couldn't very well go to Matrix now. The User might kill him, especially in his weakened state. Besides...  
  
Was there some chance, even a slim one, that maybe... just maybe... she could get this User to listen to her?  
  
"Hey," she said, stepping forward. She knew she had already been down this road before, but... damnit, she could be stubborn if she wanted to. "Do you understand me?" She began waving her arms. "Come on, give me a sign here."  
  
She tried making some gestures, hoping the girl or dude who was playing the game was paying close attention on her. She gave the User Avatar two thumbs up, and then a salute. "See? I'm not a game sprite. I'm a User, like you!" She hoped it could tell she wasn't acting like a typical avatar or sprite.  
  
The sprite waited just feet away, stock still. The Real User had appeared, and it seemed that the Odd User was attempting conversation. Funny, when did Users talk? Or was this… could it be the User from Mainframe, the one Bob and Matrix had mentioned? The sprite peered at her more closely, hand on hip. The sprite was curious, though cautious.  
  
"Okay buddy..." Starwell muttered as she began to back off. "Just go your way, and I'll go mine." She turned and went in the opposite direction, hoping that she wouldn't encounter that giant monster again.  
  
Something did appear from the other direction, though. Another creature much like the one that she had encountered in the other room.  
  
She gave a little scream, moving to one side. However, for some reason, the creature chose to go for the User Avatar instead. It slipped on Starwell's vomit and pummeled into the User's knees; the User had fired a shot, but it missed the monster.  
  
And it hit Starwell in the shoulder. She hissed in pain; Gizmo shrieked.  
  
The User finished dealing with the creature, and turned as another monster approached from behind it. Starwell panted, and she lunged forward and slipped through the door where Matrix was.  
  
She then fell face-first on the floor as the door shut behind her. The health boost fell from her grasp, clattering across the ground.  
  
She hissed, and gingerly touched her shoulder. Her fingers came away sticky with blood. "Great," she muttered.  
  
"Something sounded fun," Matrix chuckled.  
  
Something banged against the door. Starwell tensed. She quickly got to her feet. Her shoulder hurt, but it did little to hinder her movements.  
  
She sighed, snatching the health boost from the floor and then approaching Matrix. "I hope whatever's out there doesn't come in here," she growled as she held the item out to him. "Hope this helps."  
  
Matrix grasped the box, and hit it to his armor. Health Bar went up, and he healed. He got up, his weapon ready.  
  
When the door opened, Matrix aimed his weapon.  
  
So did the sprite in the engineer armor.  
  
They both stared at each other.  
  
"Sparky?"  
  
Starwell had her hand on her hip, touching the hilt of her gun, but she did not draw it. Her eyelids flickered when she saw the recognition flash between the stranger, and Matrix.  
  
"Huh?" She blinked again. "Matrix, who's this?"  
  
The engineer removed their helmet, and revealed a tanned female sprite with bluish hair.  
  
"AndrAIa." Matrix had nearly dropped his weapon, "Glad to see you."  
  
"Same here, Sparky," said AndrAIa, "I've been tailing your User there."  
  
"I noticed. This is Starwell, Starwell, this is AndrAIa."  
  
"Pleasure," said AndrAIa.  
  
"Ohhh so you're AndrAIa?" Starwell smiled, relieved. "Hi!" Matrix had mentioned her before, even if they hadn't had a chance to meet.  
  
Gizmo started beeping about something.  
  
"My shoulder's fine," Starwell muttered. "At least I'm sure it will be..." She touched the dented spot in the armor and grimaced. Didn't blood know how to clot in this Game?  
  
"Looks like the User clipped you one," said AndrAIa.  
  
"The Pup will be fine," said Matrix, checking over Gun.  
  
"Pup huh? Since when did you give out pet names?" AndrAIa said playfully.  
  
"Its true, she's a pup. Been one since her first game."  
  
"I was watching Little Enzo at the time, someone had to keep him from finding a User by himself. Something happen in the game?"  
  
"Something. I'll tell you later."  
  
Starwell eyed both of the sprites as she wiped her hand against her armor. She grimaced, remembering it still had some gore from her kill back in the other room.  
  
"Yeah, well...." Starwell glanced toward the door. "What do we need to do to stop the User?" Gizmo chirped. "I might as well help," she answered the Keytool with a shrug. "I'm already in-character, it seems."  
  
"We need to find Bob," said AndrAIa, "He's somewhere on Level 2."  
  
"Then what're we waiting for?" said Matrix, he looked to Starwell, "Can you get up?"  
  
"Yeah, no problem," she said as she stood. She checked herself, making sure the pistol was still secured to her hip and Gizmo was still nestled into place on her arm.  
  
"I wouldn't mind finding one of those health boosts for myself, though," she muttered as she rolled her shoulder, somewhat painfully. "This is getting irritating, and I don't even have an Aspirin."  
  
"What's Aspirin?" asked AndrAIa, as they left the room.  
  
The corridor was empty and dark. Matrix chose a direction, and started walking, the rest followed.  
  
"It's something that people take where I come from, when something hurts," Starwell explained as they moved. "Usually for stuff like headaches or muscle pains. But sometimes it can with injuries, I think."  
  
She eyed her Keytool as it chimed in yet again. "Acetylsalicylic acid? I can barely even say that. How do you know so much about stuff from my world anyway?"  
  
Gizmo remained silent.  
  
"Huh, the more you know."  
  
Starwell glanced up. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"I find it interesting that a User would come to the Net. See, I'm a game-sprite who came to the Net, because of the Sparky," AndrAIa gestured to Matrix.  
  
"You mean you came from a Game, like this?" Starwell looked at the blue-haired woman with new-found amazement. "Wow..."  
  
"I didn't come from a game like this, per say," AndrAIa gestured, "I came from a more aquatic game."  
  
Starwell fingered her shoulder for a moment; the bleeding had finally ceased, though it still hurt. "I didn't even mean to come into the Net, really," she admitted. "My Uncle was experimenting with something that lets Users enter Systems. He..." Starwell looked at the floor, scuffing her boot sheepishly. "He told me not to touch it. I didn't listen. Now I'm here," she finished simply.  
  
AndrAIa shrugged, "Sounds like when Enzo and I were first getting into games, back when he had first gotten Guardian Code."  
  
Matrix grumbled something.  
  
"I know, lover."  
  
"So uh... are there any games that you guys find... fun?" Starwell scratched the back of her head. "I mean, Users play games for fun, so I was just wondering.. you know." She began to feel like an idiot.  
  
"We used to think that. Games are very serious," AndrAIa couldn't help but smile, "But, they do tend to get easy after so long."  
  
"I guess you guys have done very well, since you haven't been nullified," Starwell said. She looked thoughtful. "Maybe if I ever get back home, I could find Mainframe's User to ask him--or her--to go easy on you guys."  
  
She sighed. "I don't know if he or she will believe me, but I could try."  
  
"When we get out of the game, remind me to ask you what your world is like," said AndrAIa.  
  
Something moaned further down the corridor.  
  
"Yeah... okay," Starwell replied distractedly. She heard a noise in the distance. "Uh, Gizmo...?"  
  
The Keytool clicked and whirred. "That's what I thought," Starwell swallowed. There was something up ahead. She pressed her lips into a thin line and took her pistol from her belt with exaggerated care.  
  
"I just want to go on record by saying... I hate this game," Starwell whispered. "And I wanna punch whoever made it."  
  
The group went down the corridor, weapons at the ready. Finally, they entered the door at the very end of the corridor.  
  
The room was huge inside, and from the darkness of the ceiling, several long strange looking ropes dangled and occasionally twitched.  
  
Starwell took a tentative step forward, then moved behind Matrix, as though wanting to shield herself behind his more massive bulk.  
  
"What is this place?" she whispered, eyeing the area. It looked pretty run-down; a broken terminal was nearby, coated with blood and rust, exposed circuitry sparking slightly.  
  
"Ugh," she commented, glancing up at the long tentacles that extended from the ceiling. "Greg would love this if he was playing this Game right now."  
  
"Don't touch them, and keep moving," Said Matrix. He carefully squeezed between the strange ropes, AndrAIa too.  
  
Starwell froze in place, eyeing the sprites as they moved forward. At times she could be a little jumpy when she played games outside the computer, though that was because she often died whenever she wasn't careful. Greg was the one with the good reflexes and good intuition within Games. She tended to die a few times until she got the hang of a level and became aware of the traps.  
  
Here, she didn't have the luxury.   
  
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered in response to Gizmo's beep. "Don't rush me." She very tentatively inched forward, noting that the others were waiting for them.  
  
She kept her eyes glued on one of the tentacles, the one on the left. However, as she kept a close eye on its every twitch, she unintentionally ignored the one on the left.  
  
Therefore she did not notice with the one on the left curled toward her--and then wrapped itself around her chest and waist.  
  
She screamed out as it began to lift her toward the ceiling. Gizmo shrieked.  
  
"Starwell!" yelled AndrAIa. One of the tongues twitched in her direction, and wrapped around her, pulling her up.  
  
"Starwell! AndrAIa!" Matrix aimed his gun, but there was still only one shot left.  
  
Time seemed to freeze for a moment...  
  
Who would he save?  
  
"Giz--" Starwell's voice was cut off as the tentacle engulfed her form.  
  
Gizmo shrieked again. As the tentacle continued to move, the Keytool ended up being brushed off of her arm. Gizmo then wailed all the way down to the ground, where it fell through the grate in the floor just below her. The Keytool vanished from sight, unable to be retrieved by conventional means.  
  
Starwell thought she heard a shot fired. She couldn't even manage a muffled cry as the tentacle continued to squeeze, crushing and suffocating her. Pain erupted throughout her form as if acid were consuming her; she was being dissolved.  
  
Matrix’s finger squeezed on the trigger. However, he missed.  
  
The moment he had raised his Gun, it had been all over. A tongue made contact, wrapped around his arms and pulled him up, making a premature shot to the ground. He struggled, he kicked, and nothing broke the contact as he was dragged up.  
  
He remembered calling out for AndrAIa, and then nothing.  
  
The last thing Starwell knew was extreme pain that overpowered all of her senses and a mental anguish that accompanied her terror.   
  
She would never see home again. Images flashed through her mind. Her school, her friends, her parents, Greg...  
  
Then everything went black. The pain ceased, replaced by a numbness, and then for an instant, nothing at all. Time itself seemed to freeze.  
  
All of a sudden, she found her feet firmly planted on solid ground once again, with Matrix and AndrAIa standing nearby. Everything appeared fine. Only it wasn't. She had nearly died! And she had seen AndrAIa taken moments ago!  
  
She let out a high-pitched scream and scrambled backward, releasing a burst of emotion. On her arm, Gizmo began to shriek and beep its head off, throwing a complete fit. Gizmo remembered everything that had happened, too.  
  
"Hey, hey, what are you screaming about?" asked AndrAIa.  
  
"Didn't think you were that scared, Pup, the game just began," said Matrix.  
  
Starwell was trembling. Gizmo continued to shriek for several nanos longer, then fell silent, as though collecting itself and realizing that everything really was okay again.  
  
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Starwell yelled, her skin paling. Her heart seemed to pound in her chest and her energy pulse was racing a mile a nano. She backed up and leaned heavily against the wall. "What... what..." Her breath quickened into short, rapid gasps as she stared at AndrAIa with widened eyes. Hadn't AndrAIa been taken, too? Was she really okay?  
  
"What is up with you? The Game Cube landed," Matrix said with irritation.  
  
"Come on Sparky, be patient," said AndrAIa, she turned back to Starwell, "I'm AndrAIa, are you going to be alright?"  
  
Starwell blinked several times. "Huh?" she finally squeaked out. "Okay, what happened here? I was..."  
  
On her arm, Gizmo began to beep a few times. Starwell blinked again. "Huh?" she gasped. "Checkpoint? What?" Gizmo beeped again, repeating itself.  
  
Starwell inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "So... I died?" She blew out a breath and sat down, hard. She brought her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms around them, trying to settle her nerves.  
  
"Checkpoints? You can't be serious," said Matrix.  
  
Starwell stared at him blankly for a long moment. Her shoulders trembled.  
  
"How can you say I'm not serious?!" she snapped, her voice cracking. "We went into a big room with these things that hung from the ceiling! One of them grabbed me, and another one grabbed her!" She pointed at AndrAIa. "And then it ate me!"  
  
She gasped in another breath; Gizmo beeped in an attempt to sooth her. "I was eaten alive," she practically whimpered, hugging her knees closer against her chest.  
  
"Sparky..." said AndrAIa.  
  
"How many times?" asked Matrix.  
  
"Huh?" Starwell looked up at him, not quite comprehending in her daze and shock. "What do you mean?"  
  
"How many times have we gone back?" Matrix demanded.  
  
"Sparky, calm down."  
  
"This is the first time," Starwell said, then she scowled. "It scared the hell out of me, okay?! I thought all of us were done for!"  
  
Matrix cursed.  
  
"You'll have to forgive him, he doesn't do well with Checkpoint Games," said AndrAIa.  
  
Starwell took a long moment to regain her composure. Once she felt a little calmer, she slowly stood up.  
  
"So... you guys don't remember anything about what happened?" She then noticed her shoulder and flexed it. Her wound was gone!  
  
"NO. That's the point of a Checkpoint," Matrix snarled, and for a moment, he felt like he'd change into some half-wolf creature, "Progress lost. Being forced to do something again and again, and again." He punched a nearby wall, leaving a rather large dent.  
  
"Come on lover, calm down."  
  
"Hey I'm not happy about this either!" Starwell exclaimed. "Do you think I enjoyed dying? In fact," she jabbed a finger in Matrix's direction, "YOU guys are lucky. At least you don't have to remember what it was like to die! Now I have to walk around terrified that I'll go through excruciating pain just to end up at the last Checkpoint!"  
  
She huffed and turned away. Gizmo urged her to calm down; she ignored it, folding her arms across her chest.  
  
"Come on you two-"  
  
"You don't know what its like!" Matrix yelled back, "To have to repeat things! When I was lost in the Net, I knew what it was like. Back when I still had Glitch, and it was still damaged! Damaged Keytools leak energy, so while I going through a Checkpoint Game, I had to relive things again and again, with no one else remembering anything!"  
  
Starwell pressed her lips together. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Well it's nice to know you're such an expert!" she snapped, her voice cracking with emotion. "I'm new to all this but I'm not stupid. I get it. We're all at the mercy of the User, and I'm effecting things too because I'm a User!"  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut. No, she didn't want to cry, not even angry tears. Not here, not now. "Just play the stupid game without me." She began to dash off.  
  
"Starwell-" Matrix clenched his fists, and muttered, "I'll do this myself...."  
  
"Way to go, lover," AndrAIa said, her hands on her hips, "You let your temper get the better of you."


	38. Chapter 38

Starwell ran out of the room and down the connecting corridor, going around at least one corner. She didn't even notice Gizmo's warning; she ran right into the middle of an ambush. Two monstrous Game sprites pounced on her, knocking her off-balance. One of them slammed against her, sending her crashing into the bulkhead. Then the second one snarled, leaping at her and clawing at her face.  
  
She cried out as the sharp ends of the digits slashed across her cheek. Hot, sticky liquid oozed down her face. "GET AWAY!" She kicked the monster in the midsection and drew her pistol. It hissed; she fired, blasting it in the chest. Blood and gore exploded from the wound as the creature crumpled.  
  
Then she directed her gun at the second creature. It seemed to hesitate. "Well, buster?" she hissed through clenched teeth. "What's it gonna be?"  
  
Being an aggressive Chaotic, the creature had no choice but to follow its programming. It knew no other way. Therefore it snarled and lunged forward, its sharp claws directed at Starwell's throat.  
  
The shot from her pistol seemed deafening as she pulled the trigger. The bullet impacted the beast's body, below the left collar bone. Blood spurted and the flesh was punctured and torn; the creature released a sickening, gargling cry as it choked up brownish red fluid; some of it splattered onto the front of Starwell's armor.  
  
She shuddered violently as the corpse collapsed at her feet. "Ew, ew, ew!" She cried. "Good God--my armor was just cleaned at the Checkpoint! EW!"  
  
However, a soiled chest plate ended up being the least of her worries. The User rounded the corner from the opposite direction. She glanced up, and her eyes locked with those of the soulless Avatar that was controlled from outside the System.  
  
She couldn't help but stare, frowning. She made no attempt to communicate because it never did any good, not to mention she didn't feel like it right now. But still, she couldn't help but wonder... why did it always seem like the User hesitated around her? Why did they always seem to meet each other's gaze, looking at each other without harming one-another?  
  
How did the User perceive her, whenever she appeared in games? Was the option to intentionally harm her simply not present when she was in a game? No, she had been clipped in the shoulder before, so he (or she) could probably shoot her dead any moment if he so chose. But still, why the hesitation? How did her presence translate to an outside User, when one was looking at her from their monitor screen outside the Net?  
  
Perhaps she would never know. She simply knew that she must either look strange somehow, or the User couldn't quite make out what she was, and therefore she was worth puzzling over, perhaps.  
  
Any further speculation on either of their part was interrupted; the giant monster with the crab-like claws and the whirling blades was back. "Oh not that thing again!" Starwell cried.  
  
The thing lumbered forward, taking a swipe at the User. A blade slashed across the User avatar's chest; no effect. He must have been wearing some very good armor. The User fired off several shots at the beast, taking down a small portion of its health.  
  
Unfortunately one of the bullets ricocheted off of a piece of armor that the monster wore; it impacted Starwell in the chest.  
  
She cried out, doubling over as blood gushed from the wound, spilling over her armor and forming a small pool on the floor. If this had happened in the real world she would have been in major trouble, but in this place the blood was a mere representation of bodily fluids; she wasn't in danger of bleeding to death.  
  
That didn't mean it did not hurt like hell, though. Gizmo shrieked, feeling her pain through their connection, and alerted her to the fact that her health bar was down to twenty-five percent.  
  
"Great, just great!" Starwell pushed herself off of the wall and forced herself to move along. Thankfully the User and the beast were still busy with each other; Starwell moved painfully in the direction of the starting point.  
  
"I won't die again, I just won't!" she gasped. That was all she needed, to die again and then have Matrix blow up at her all over again when she had to tell him about the Checkpoints... again. The least she could do was stay alive until they reached the next Checkpoint, because at least then Matrix's memories would remain intact up till that point.  
  
"I'm not going to die again," Starwell vowed under her breath. "Not until the next Checkpoint, at least." She looked at Gizmo. "Where is the next Checkpoint?" It beeped. Level 2. Yeah, she should have figured.  
  
She sighed heavily. How in the world were they supposed to beat this Game, especially since she and the User could keep restarting from Checkpoints every time one of them died? This could go on for an eternity. Or worse, the User might win eventually, and Bob, Matrix and AndrAIa would be nullified.  
  
"I WON'T let that happen!" she exclaimed, and moved forward. She had to warn Matrix and AndrAIa about the User, but she had to get to them first.  
  
Her legs gave out. She leaned heavily against the wall and slid down to the floor, breathing heavily in and out. Her stamina seemed to be nearly gone. She needed a few moments to rest, to try and get it back.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

AndrAIa had convinced him to go after Starwell. Unfortunately, the mix of corridors had gotten them lost.  
  
"Where do you think she went?" asked AndrAIa.  
  
"Don't know."  
  
One of the corridors contained a large, open door. AndrAIa and Matrix entered it, out of the possibility that perhaps one of the Users had gone through, when the lights came on. The both stiffened.  
  
The lit corridor was clean, or at least bloodless and limbless. Clean usually meant not good, and it meant a Scripted Event. Whether or not it would trigger is up to debate.  
  
It was a Scripted Event, then more likely than not, Starwell or the User may have or would come down this way.  
  
Matrix and AndrAIa took careful steps. From what they could see, the Corridor led to a corner before turning. So far so good...  
  
The moment something slithered and moved, it was over.  
  
A large fleshy tentacle struck around the corner. It knocked AndrAIa back and grabbed one of Matrix's feet. It slammed him into the ground, and began to drag.  
  
Matrix fired at the thing, two shots. The impacts did nothing to slow the creature. He really hopped that this was not a Death Event.  
  
"Enzo!" called out AndrAIa. She rushed down the corridor, a weapon in hand. The Tentacle was dragging him too quickly for AndrAIa to catch up.  
  
He spotted where it was taking him, a hole in the wall.  
  
The Tentacle dragged in. He struggled, kicked and tore, going into the mindset of a beast as he had once been forced to do. He grasped on to something, and yanked himself up. Something in his foot popped as he pulled free.  
  
Matrix scrambled his way out of the hole.  
  
"Enzo!" AndrAIa yelled from across the corridor.  
  
"AndrAIa!" yelled Matrix.  
  
Something wrapped around his neck. In the short moments of realization, he smacked his icon into game-sprite Mode. And then his head jerked, followed by an unnatural crack of his neck. He was pulled back into the darkness.  
  
AndrAIa remained frozen for a second or two. However she quickly snapped out of it she knew she could not stand there.  
  
It wasn't as if she hadn't dealt without Matrix before, just that...  
  
AndrAIa started walking further down the corridor. Then she thought of Starwell. She needed to find the girl…  
  
Her sensitive hearing picked up sounds nearby. Some of them sounded like regular game sprites moving about, growling, grunting, or just walking. There were other sounds too, the gentle thrumming of energy currents flowing through circuits within the station, and…  
  
In the distance, there was a familiar voice… the voice was speaking to an unfamiliar voice.  
  
AndrAIa broke into a run.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell took a deep breath and slowly stood, bracing herself against the wall as she moved. She made her way, slowly and painfully, back to the room where the Checkpoint had started her off. Matrix and AndrAIa were nowhere to be seen in there.  
  
"Great," she muttered. Of course she should have realized they wouldn't stand by idly and wait for her to come back. She sighed, and decided the best thing to do would be to press forward. If nothing else, she'd be a moving target.  
  
She continued to limp along, clutching her chest with one arm while maintaining her balance against the wall with her other arm. Gizmo squawked occasionally, disliking its close proximity to Starwell's chest wound. Blood was dripping all over it!  
  
"Hang in there," Starwell remarked. "We're probably gonna end up... somewhere. Eventually." She sighed. "Hopefully."  
  
She really, really needed to find a health boost, and soon. She simply hoped she would find someplace with such items.  
  
"Gizmo," she said, "are you tracking Matrix and AndrAIa? Where are they?" The Keytool beeped. It indicated a direction. "Okay then..." Starwell sucked in a deep breath and proceeded to limp down the indicated corridor. Hopefully they wouldn't get too far ahead; she couldn't move too fast in her current condition.  
  
....And then a game sprite appeared. It burst out of the wall, knocking aside a large grate.  
  
"Oh shit, " Starwell exclaimed. “Gizmo, shield!” She knew that she wouldn't be able to fight very well in her present condition. She needed some protection at the very least.  
  
I am not dying again, she vowed once again, as a silver light emanated from Gizmo and formed around her. The creature bounded toward her, snarling and clawing, but it was repelled by the force-shield.  
  
Starwell sighed. Maybe if these monsters would just leave her alone, she would actually get somewhere.  
  
All of a sudden, a strange voice began to speak from overhead. It sounded mechanical like a synthesized voice, yet textured like a human voice. "There you are," it said, as if addressing Starwell directly. "A second vermin crawling around within me. Yet this one is different."  
  
Starwell gasped and looked up. The game sprite did not even respond to the strange voice; it continued at her, being repelled each time it touched Gizmo's force-barrier.  
  
"Who are you?" Starwell demanded, looking for the source of the odd voice.  
  
"I am HORNS, and this is my domain."  
  
Gizmo hissed.  
  
"Charmed, I'm sure," HORNS retorted, its mechanical voice sounding even drier.  
  
"What are you?" Starwell asked weakly, puzzled. "Where are you?"  
  
"Tiny insect, I am omnipresent throughout this station. You are but a tiny morsel to feed the creatures that dwell within. Although," HORNS sounded thoughtful, "you have survived this long. You may yet prove useful."  
  
Starwell didn't like the sound of this one bit. "Yeah... useful how?" she grunted. Her injury wasn't getting any worse, but it wasn't helping her any.  
  
"We will see," HORNS replied. "Proceed directly to the next room down the corridor, on the left. I will tell you what to do once you are there."  
  
"Oh go to hell," Starwell spat, and choked up a mouthful of blood.  
  
"It is by my will alone that you have made it thus far without encountering worse than this one creature you are faced with now," HORNS stated. "Deal with it, and proceed forth. Unless you would like me to release the hatch that holds more creatures up ahead..."  
  
Gizmo practically snarled. Any sign of its usual mischievous nature had been replaced by a temporary, strictly business attitude. Gizmo understood perfectly well just how dangerous this Game truly was and it acted accordingly. That meant no playing around, at least for the time-being.  
  
Starwell sighed. "Fine." She raised her pistol and fired. The creature went down in a gruesome, bloodied lump of flesh.  
  
"Very good. You will find a health boost you will need to continue on up ahead, too. And," HORNS added, "do be careful. One such as you may die repeatedly, but it simply wastes my time."  
  
Starwell gritted her teeth. She slowly limped forward. "Just what I need," she muttered under her breath. "An obnoxious program, or whatever."  
  
Starwell cautiously approached the door she'd been instructed to go to. She did not do so out of any sense of obedience or loyalty to HORNS; she did so simply because she needed the mentioned health boost.  
  
Though it was obvious that HORNS knew this, too.  
  
The door opened at her approach and she stepped inside. It was a remarkably clean room; no sign of blood, body parts, or disturbances of any kind.  
  
"Huh," Starwell murmured. "This is… surprisingly pleasant." Gizmo beeped. "I know, a little too pleasant," she acknowledged. "Alright, buddy, where's that health boost?"  
  
The Keytool whirled, indicating a direction. "Thanks," Starwell said, and began limping forward. There she saw it; a health boost that sat between two wall sanctions.  
  
However, when she got closer, a force-field kicked on and repelled her back. She screamed as the energy aggravated her already painful wound; she collapsed against the floor. Her health bar had been knocked down two percent.  
  
"I'm... I'm okay," she gasped at Gizmo, in response to its concerned chirping. "I think. Uggghhh...."  
  
"Now you see how insignificant you are compared to me, insect," HORNS stated. Its voice seemed to vibrate throughout the entire room. "That health boost will be your cheese for a job well done once do it, little vermin."  
  
"Gizmo, shut up," Starwell groaned, getting tired of the Keytool's squawking. "HORNS, what the hell do you want?"  
  
"In the far corner you will find a terminal," HORNS stated, its voice increasing in volume. The very air in the room seemed to vibrate. "Go over to it."  
  
Starwell gritted her teeth and pushed herself to her hands and knees. Her health bar had dropped down another one percent. Apparently the electrical field had a temporary after-effect, according to Gizmo; it ate away at tiny portions of health for a twenty second duration.  
  
Unfortunately, she couldn't afford to lose much more health right now.  
  
"Fine, I'll get to your stupid terminal," she growled as she shakily got to her feet. She grunted as she walked, breathing in deeply.  
  
When she made to the terminal she leaned heavily against it for support. "What do you want me to do?" she rasped. Her health bar was now down to nineteen percent.  
  
Gizmo beeped with worry.  
  
"Access the rudimentary functions," HORNS instructed. "Disable all of the manual overrides. There are many doors which do not respond to my command; they mock my Eminence."  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Starwell muttered as her fingers tapped the keys on the terminal. Her vision began to blur. Gizmo alerted her that her health had dropped down to eighteen percent.  
  
A few seconds passed. She blinked rapidly, trying harder to maintain her focus. It took a couple of tries, but she finally succeeded in what HORNS wanted. By that point her health had dropped to fourteen percent. She slumped against the console, unable to maintain her balance.  
  
"Very good," HORNS said with approval. "Now I will extend your insignificant life so that you may continue to be of use." The force-field was shut off.  
  
"Gizmo..." Starwell slid to the floor. She didn't need to complete the sentence. Gizmo flew off of her arm and retrieved the health boost; it deposited it on the floor beside her, within reach. Then it chirped and returned to her arm.  
  
Starwell gasped as she grabbed the item and pressed it against her chest. Immediately the injury sealed itself up and even her armor repaired itself. She no longer bled, she no longer felt weak, and she was no longer in pain.  
  
"Now be a good little fleshling and proceed down the corridor," HORNS instructed. "I will guide you to the next objective."  
  
"Why should I listen to you?" Starwell snapped. "I don't need anything from you now."  
  
"You have given me full access to the doors on all levels. I can make your progress easy for you... or quite difficult," HORNS informed her.  
  
Starwell considered this. "Well, what do you want me to do?" she asked. She wouldn't decide anything until she knew what was up.  
  
"Proceed through the next door and down the hall. I will guide you to your next objective," HORNS repeated.  
  
"That doesn't answer my question."  
  
"I do not need to inform you of my plans, small one. Simply proceed to the next objective under my guidance."  
  
"Fine, I'll play along... for now," Starwell shrugged, half-bluffing. It wasn't like she had anything else better to do until she found her friends anyway.  
  
Gizmo beeped skeptically. She winked at it, and began to head down the corridor.  
  
"Huh?" Starwell whispered to Gizmo; the Keytool indicated that something was coming. Gizmo did a more precise scan, and then it beeped positively. "Who's there?" Starwell rested her hand on her pistol's hilt.  
  
AndrAIa lowered her weapon, "Starwell?"  
  
"Oh, AndrAIa!" Starwell breathed with relief, moving her hand away from her pistol. She stepped forward until she was closer to the sprite. "Where's Matrix?"  
  
"Matrix-He... He didn't make it." AndrAIa lowered her gaze.  
  
Starwell stared at her blankly for a long moment. "What?" she managed before her throat shut down with shock. Did she really hear that right?  
  
“I don't know what happened in the last game you two were in, but, I'm sorry."  
  
For a moment Starwell felt too stunned to move, or to say anything. How could such a strong, determined individual like Matrix be gone, just like that?  
  
"I..." Starwell swallowed, her shoulders slumping. "I don't believe it." She narrowed her eyes.  
  
AndrAIa sighed softly. "Look," she said, "we can't stay here. We need to find Bob and that means getting to Level 2."  
  
"No," Starwell said again, shaking her head. "I still don't believe it! Matrix can't be dead!" Even if the sprite had a short fuse and could be difficult to get along with at times... he was still a good person. He had gone after her in the Ghetto even after she'd nullified a Sector, and he'd obviously forgiven her for what happened.  
  
For him to just die in a game, when he himself had said that he had been through many? Some of them possibly worse than this one? It didn't seem right.  
  
Or what if this game was different? What if it had elements that even Matrix and AndrAIa couldn't handle?  
  
AndrAIa placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know how you feel," she said. "Matrix and I have been through so much together... it's hard to imagine him being gone."  
  
Starwell gave her a curious look. "Then you don't believe he's gone either, do you?" she demanded.  
  
AndrAIa opened her mouth, then closed it again. She looked thoughtful, if sad. "I think the only thing that could bring him back for sure would be returning to a Checkpoint."  
  
"Oh, so you want me to kill myself? Great! Thanks, AndrAIa!"  
  
"Hey, I didn't mean--"  
  
"I've spent the last few minutes trying to stay alive, and now I might have to do something stupid and get killed because, apparently, all three of us suck at this Game!" Starwell grunted in disgust and stamped her foot.  
  
Gizmo chirped. "Yeah I know, dying is unpleasant," Starwell snapped. "You don't have to remind me!" More chirps. "I don't need to know that there's an acid vat on Level 2! GEEZ!"  
  
"Starwell!" AndrAIa touched the girls' arm. "Calm down. Focus on your breathing, input and output."  
  
The User-sprite glared at her friend, but she managed to regain her composure after a moment.  
  
"Look," AndrAIa went on, "Matrix wouldn't want any of us to do anything stupid. I miss him too, but I'm not giving up on him yet." She gave a little wink. "Don't think that you know how the game is going to end until it finally does. I learned that lesson a long time ago."  
  
Starwell hadn't realized she was beginning to tear up until her eyes began to sting. She blinked rapidly, refusing to let them fall. "So you just keep going? Just like that?" Her voice cracked a little with emotion.  
  
"It's all you can do," AndrAIa replied. "Come on, we need to get going."  
  
Starwell found herself taking AndrAIa by the hand as they began to walk, almost like she would a big sister if she had one. He's not gone, Starwell kept thinking to herself as she moved. He just can't be gone. She felt guilty for losing her temper and yelling at him before. Now she might never get the chance to apologize, or even to yell at him again sometime in the future.  
  
"You are going the wrong way, small one," a booming voice spoke from overheard as they rounded a corner. "The next objective is down the next corridor. You will proceed there immediately, fleshling; I grow weary of your emotional blubbering. A flesh-bag so small cannot afford leaking fluids, surely."  
  
"What is that?" AndrAIa murmured, narrowing her eyes as she looked up at the ceiling.  
  
"Ugh... HORNS," Starwell hissed.  
  
"It appears you have found a companion, one that I cannot influence," HORNS continued. "No matter. If you continue to prove useful, you may keep your sprite-pet."  
  
"I am no one's pet," AndrAIa stated boldly, just loudly enough to be heard. "We'll go wherever we choose to."  
  
"Is this how it is going to be, fleshling User? Are you going to defy me?"  
  
Starwell blinked. "So you know I'm a User?" she asked.  
  
"I am no fool; I am programmed to take over this Station, by using a User to do so. Ironic, is it not? Yet you are different. You are not simply an avatar controlled from outside, like the puppet with invisible strings that the Other User is. You are a User in-Game, and therefore you have my full attention."  
  
"Oh I feel so lucky," Starwell said sarcastically. "What do you want?"  
  
"I want this station. Once I have complete control of it, I be able to complete my plans. Now proceed to the room on the far left, and I will instruct you further there."  
  
AndrAIa and Starwell exchanged glances. Gizmo beeped. "What is it?" Starwell asked, and the Keytool answered with a few more chirps. "Sorry, HORNS, we're not going that way," Starwell replied. "The way to Level 2 is this way." She took AndrAIa's hand again in a sisterly fashion, and they began to walk the other way.  
  
A door just ahead of them slammed down from above, blocking the way.  
  
"You have given me full access to the doors throughout this station," reminded HORNS. "You may be an interactive User, small one, but you are still in my domain. I believe it is time to teach you your place."  
  
An ominous set of snarls and growls filled the air, followed by the pattering of footfalls and even squishy noises. Monsters were coming in their direction.  
  
"Uh oh..." Starwell looked at AndrAIa with widened eyes. With the sealed door barricading their path, they were trapped.  
  
AndrAIa took her trident from her belt. "Get ready," she told Starwell.  
  
"I hate this game...." Starwell firmly grabbed her pistol from her belt.


	39. Chapter 39

"Awaken, Insect."  
  
Matrix's eyes shot open. He was in some sort of control room. The front of the ship? Impossible. That would be Level 5...  
  
"I have taken you from what would have been your premature deletion. I have upgraded your systems, to serve me."  
  
"Who are you!?" Matrix demanded.  
  
"I am HORNS. I am your new God."  
  
Matrix jerked up, about to yell something, when he noticed himself for the first time. His helmet HUB had changed drastically, and a large claw like weapon had been attached around his right arm. His armor was different. Things had been shifted into in-sprite distortions.  
  
"Obey me."  
  
Matrix didn't have a choice.  
  
Matrix obeyed. His body moved on its own, commanded by what ever the Net HORNS was. He hadn't exactly experienced an AI game-sprite that could influence the environment before.  
  
Other usually hostile game-sprites by passed him.  
  
It seemed as if he were going a backwards way, from level 5 to Level 1. Likely wherever the User was located at. And then he started to hope to anything that he wouldn't be hunting more than one User.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The humanoid-like game-sprites came at AndrAIa and Starwell in two waves. The first was a mere half-dozen, which they dealt with quickly. The second wave was a full dozen plus one.  
  
Twelve of the game sprites were the same diseased-looking humanoids as before, but one of them was taller, more slender, and it appeared to be an armored figure...  
  
AndrAIa moved quickly, operating almost on instinct as she fired off her weapon, Starwell shooting alongside her. When the sprites came within melee range, she switched to her trident and Starwell began punching and kicking.  
  
While they were busy with the monsters, the armor-clad figure gradually came closer. This one had special orders, and it was different from the other Game sprites in more ways than one.  
  
AndrAIa became heavily focused on three Game sprites that came at her at once; she dealt with them swiftly enough, but while she was distracted, Starwell dealt with two other remaining monsters--and then found herself face-to-face with the taller, armor-clad figure.  
  
Starwell squeaked in alarm when it grabbed her roughly by the arms, pulling her close. That's when she realized something. It wasn't an armor-clad figure, it was... an android?  
  
No... it was a cyborg. One under the direct influence of HORNS, no doubt.  
  
"Now, Vermin, I will take a source of your power and render you even more insignificant than you already are." HORNS' voice came directly from the cyborg.  
  
The cyborg then snatched Gizmo from her arm; the Keytool squawked shrilly in protest. "HEY!" Starwell yelled, but the cyborg swung its arm and cuffed her soundly across the side of the head.  
  
Starwell went down on the ground. Her vision swam and she felt as though her brains had been rattled. She couldn't tell, but she thought she heard AndrAIa yell something.  
  
The cyborg vanished down a different corridor, a door closing and sealing into place behind it. This made it impossible for the cyborg to be followed or for Gizmo to be retrieved at present.  
  
"Uuuggghhh..." Starwell groaned vocally, touching her head gingerly.   
"Starwell!" AndrAIa knelt down beside the younger, User-sprite. "Are you okay?"  
  
Starwell mumbled something under her breath. AndrAIa touched her arm, supporting her as she sat up.  
  
"That thing got Gizmo!" Starwell grunted indignantly.  
  
"I know," AndrAIa said. "We'll get him back, just stay calm."  
  
Starwell hissed through gritted teeth. "Can any of this get any worse?!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Gizmo did not like being carried by a stranger any more than it liked being taken away from Starwell.  
  
Normally it preferred to only communicate with Starwell for the most part, but desperate times called for desperate measures.  
  
It began to beep and chirp insistently, attempting to get in touch with Glitch.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
  
Well, this wasn't so bad.  
  
It wasn't as if Bob hadn't Rebooted into strange creatures before. Not exactly.  
He was at least recognizable in those passed games.  
  
Now the only thing recognizable about him was the fact that his body was blue, and the bits of scale-like strips on his scalp were silver. And of course his icon and Glitch.  
  
This new form had completely rearranged him. Because it lacked eyes, he had to "see" with a sort of heat detection. He had a particularly large beastly mouth of sharp teeth, next to the other nightmare fuel that seemed to act like his body. He supposed he was lucky to still even have arms and legs, and maybe his brand new skeletal tail, but most of that fortune had drained when he found he could not stand up straight, or even on two feet.  
  
The upside was that he had some telepathic abilities, and of course being able to climb on walls and ceilings. This enabled him to avoid Game sprites and get a good surveillance of the level without having to interact with or disturb anything.  
  
On his arm, Glitch beeped.  
  
'What is it?'

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Gizmo was carried into a smaller room that appeared to be a hideaway of sorts. It was exactly the kind of side-area that Game Spawned sprites loved to jump out of to attack passersby, but otherwise served no real purpose. Except perhaps for storage space within the station interior.  
  
The door sealed shut on them both; the cyborg continued to hold Gizmo securely, though not too tightly. Once the door was properly shut and locked, the Cyborg seemed to power down in the pitch blackness.  
  
Gizmo, for once, found itself outside of its element. It had a massive amount of knowledge and data it could access, plus it liked to believe that it was intelligent, even if (yes, it could admit this) it could be pretty moody at times.  
  
It felt encouraged when it heard a reply from Glitch. Thankfully, Keytools were not limited to the confines of Levels like sprites were; it could speak to Glitch from Level 1. Apparently Bob and Glitch were on Level 2.  
  
Gizmo beeped a greeting to Glitch, then it took a moment to run a more thorough scan on the cyborg that held it. Gizmo had detected something odd about the cyborg and wanted to investigate more closely.  
  
Then Gizmo got its answer. If a Keytool could have blinked, it would have.  
  
However there was nothing it could do about this now, so Gizmo focused on a different matter for the moment; communicating with Glitch, possibly Bob.  
  
Gizmo released another series of beeps and chirps, explaining to Glitch what happened. Gizmo spoke of how Starwell and AndrAIa had been ambushed, and Gizmo itself had been taken and locked away by the Game AI. Gizmo also mentioned that Matrix had apparently been terminated.  
  
Gizmo then requested Glitch to relay this to Bob, and then the User-Keytool politely asked Glitch to ask Bob for suggestions and advisement. Gizmo felt out of its league in this situation.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell wasn't sure how she felt anymore. She felt numb, as though she were a walking zombie. Matrix was gone, a crazy AI had the upper-hand in this Game, and Gizmo had been taken. Could things get any worse?  
  
Not only that, but apparently she had given HORNS some of its current power, since she gave it the freedom to open and close all doors. But what else could she have done?  
  
You could have died and gone back to a Checkpoint instead, part of her brain told her. She sighed, silently wondering if the User had encountered HORNS yet.  
  
AndrAIa and Starwell ended up heading toward the room they were instructed to go toward. Not because HORNS told them to, but because HORNS gave them no choice. Every other corridor was sealed or had too many dangers to make it worth the risk.  
  
"What is this place?" AndrAIa murmured aloud as they entered the room. It appeared to be a large room with a railway that would lead down a long, narrow passageway that stretched out of sight.  
  
It appeared that a transport car was ready to go, but the railing was not connected. Further examination of the room revealed a small control room above their heads, accessible by a ladder. It was located on the other end of the room.  
  
"Oh not this room again!" Starwell cried out. She recognized the long, tongue-like things that hung from the ceiling more than anything else.  
  
"You were here before?" AndrAIa asked, looking at her curiously.  
  
"Yeah, this was where you and I died before," Starwell swallowed. "Those things grabbed us and ate us."  
  
AndrAIa gave a little nod. She seemed to examine the tongue-like things a bit more closely. "Then we'll just have to be very careful," she said.   
  
"I don't even have Gizmo to help us out," Starwell grumbled, touching her arm. Why did she feel almost naked without the Keytool now?  
  
"We'll clear a path," AndrAIa replied, raising her gun. "Shall we?"  
  
Starwell figured she had nothing left to lose. She took her own pistol from her belt and gripped it tightly. "Sure," she said.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Bob had fallen off the ceiling. Matrix, gone. AndrAIa and Starwell, lost. Gizmo, captured. Whatever happened to the good days when the bad stuff happened later in the game?  
  
'Glitch, ask Gizmo if he can track Starwell.' He managed to roll himself over and get back on his feet, where he climbed half-way up one of the walls.   
  
Gizmo, meanwhile, received the communication from Glitch. It was silent for a moment, scanning, tracking. Then the User-Keytool replied to Glitch, stating that it appeared Starwell was getting close to exiting Level 1.   
  
Gizmo then opined that it disliked the idea of its User going anywhere without having Gizmo itself along.  
  
Bob nodded, even though he knew full well the other Keytool could not see the gesture. This new information told him that he would need to met them at the beginning of the level. That much, he could do. Anything more would go against his Format.  
  
'Tell him I'm on my way to her, Glitch.'  
  
Gizmo once again acknowledged Glitch's communication from afar, then it decided to drop another piece of information. Gizmo informed Glitch that it was being held by what appeared to be the younger copy of Matrix, coded into the format of a tall, slender cyborg. Gizmo had no idea how it happened or how the younger Enzo came into the Game, but apparently he was under the direct influence of HORNS.  
  
'W-what? Enzo!?'  
  
Gizmo was about to communicate again, but then the cyborg decided to move. It unsealed the door and walked out, carrying the Keytool in its clutches.  
  
Gizmo beeped, alerting Glitch that apparently they were on the move, although it wasn't sure of the destination yet.  
  
Bob darted down the hallway. This form had speed, he could give it that, in exchange for low strength and low health. He avoided game-sprites with ease, and took short cuts via the vents.  
  
He needed to get to the beginning of level 2.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Once AndrAIa and Starwell finished clearing out as many of the dangling tongue-like appendages as they could, they both wasted no time getting to the other side of the room.  
  
"I'll go first," AndrAIa said, already grabbing the rungs of the ladder.   
  
"If it's all the same to you, I'll stay down here," Starwell muttered, backing up against the wall.   
  
"Suit yourself. Just stay alert." AndrAIa proceeded to the top, where the rail controls were located.  
  
Starwell kept her eyes peeled, though she did allow herself to sink down to the floor in a sitting position. Well, maybe they would be getting out of here soon. But where was Gizmo? Would she be able to get by without him? Was he okay?  
  
"Thanks a lot, HORNS," she grumbled under her breath. If the AI was listening, it didn't deign to respond to that.  
  
"You almost done up there?" Starwell shouted toward the upper level. She didn't mean to be impatient, but she was anxious to keep moving and just do something.  
  
This game had already turned into everyone's personal Hell, after all.  
  
"Almost," AndrAIa called from above. "I just need to... there!"  
  
Starwell heard what sounded like a metallic grinding. She turned to see a portion of the railing moving, connecting; within a few seconds it finished forming a complete circuit. She smiled. At least something seemed to be working out.  
  
Her smile vanished as the air filled with a chorus of snarls. She looked toward the door to see the cyborg approaching--followed by half a dozen of the diseased-looking humanoids.  
  
"Starwell, get to the transport cab!" AndrAIa yelled. Starwell didn't need to be told twice; she was already moving.  
  
AndrAIa stayed on the upper level, shooting cover fire for Starwell. The User-sprite made it to the transport just as the cyborg came near her.  
  
What happened next happened very fast.  
  
A familiar beeping filled the air; Gizmo managed to rip itself out of the cyborg's grasp, flying toward Starwell.  
  
AndrAIa directed her gun at the cyborg figure, but something made her hesitate. There was something very familiar about that greenish face, and those dark purple eyes....   
"Little Enzo?" Her eyes widened.  
  
Gizmo flew in Starwell's direction--but it hit the door just as it shut. Starwell was in such a rush that she apparently didn't even notice its attempt to reach her.  
  
Gizmo chirped and whirred, uttering the Keytool equivalent of curses, especially as the transport began to move. Apparently it was programmed to move automatically once a User was in it... or HORNS was making it move, one or the other.  
  
Not quite sure what else to do, Gizmo hovered there for a moment--then it zipped upward toward AndrAIa.   
  
AndrAIa kept her eyes trained toward Little Enzo, though she did not move or fire. She observed him quietly for a few seconds, then noticed the Keytool hovering near her.  
  
"Well, what do we have here?" she murmured aloud.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell was practically thrown to the floor when the transport began to move. As far as she knew, she hadn't even touched anything! She tried to scramble to her feet to look out the window, but she was too late.  
  
She cursed under her breath. She didn't like leaving AndrAIa behind like that, and she hadn't even tried to get Gizmo back! She felt bad, and she really hoped that neither of them thought she had purposely abandoned them.  
  
She didn't know how to stop the transport though or make it go back, so the only thing she could do was sit tight and wait for it to stop.  
  
It did stop a few minutes later, a rather abrupt stop that sent her crashing in the opposite direction. It made her wish she had taken the opportunity to get into one of the seats and hang on.  
  
"Owwww...." She hissed in pain as she forced herself to her feet. Then the door opened. Unsure what else to do, she stumbled out of the transport before it could seal the door again or do anything else unexpected.  
  
She ended up falling on her hands and knees outside of the Transport. She froze in place, taking a moment to try and get her bearings.  
  
So... was this Level 2? Had she made it?  
  
Then she noticed something coming toward her, something blue and scaly. Her eyes flew wide.   
  
Starwell. Bob had made it, but AndrAIa was no where to be seen. He shoved the implications into the back of his head.  
  
However, he realized something a little too late....  
  
Starwell had shoved herself into a half-crouch and raised her weapon. "Stay away from me!" She fired. Her arm was a little shaky, causing her to miss--just barely. The bullet missed Bob's shoulder by two centimeters.  
  
She glanced at her weapon. She was down to one bullet. It was only due to power-ups that she'd managed to last this long.  
  
She narrowed her eyes. She'd have to make the next bullet count... or that was it.  
  
'Starwell its me!' Bob jumped away, landing on a wall. He climbed it to the ceiling, quickly.  
  
Starwell watched the creature as it bounded toward the ceiling. At least it wasn't coming at her again... yet.  
  
She slowly stood, directing the pistol at the creature. She hesitated. What if it tried to drop down on her from above? Would she be able to hit it?  
  
Bob tried to open his mouth, to form some words. But all that came out was a strangled snarl. The movements of his beast-like jaw revealed his sharp teeth, which only seemed to spook her even more. 'Starwell!'  
  
She gritted her teeth, still eying the creature nervously. She wished she had Gizmo with her. Very cautiously, she began to move forward. She kept her eyes glued on the creature. If it made any sudden move, it was dead. Simple as that. She moved out from under it and began to back down the corridor, away from the Transport, keeping her eye on the creature and her weapon trained on it.  
  
'Please let this work...' Bob lifted his hands- claws, from the ceiling in a gesture of surrender. Instead, he ended up falling to the ground, back first.  
  
Starwell screamed, jumping back--and she fired her last bullet.


	40. Chapter 40

She missed, though it wasn't a clean miss; it grazed his leg.  
  
Bob grunted, and shifted back into a four legged stance. He had to convince her...! He repeated his action, raising his claws up in surrender.  
  
Starwell looked down at her gun; it was out of ammo. But if the creature had any brains, it didn't have to know that. She kept it directed at the beast.  
  
Then she noticed its strange mannerism... it had its front paws or whatever raised above its head. It almost looked like... Was it surrendering? That didn't seem like the normal behavior for the Game sprites, from what she'd seen so far at least.  
  
She tentatively lowered her pistol. It wasn't like it was any good without ammo anyway. "Okay... just leave me alone and I'll leave you alone," she said aloud, and began to slowly back away. Just because it wasn't attacking didn't mean she was going to trust it. She wasn't that naive.  
  
She still wasn't trusting him! How was he supposed to... Oh. That could work. From his chest, he took his icon. He showed it to her.  
  
The icon did make her blink twice. Then, as a sudden thought came to her, she looked at his left arm. But she couldn't really see it too well.  
  
She took a very tentative step forward. She looked at the color patterns he had; he was definitely blue, the same shade of blue that Bob's skin had, and his head was graced with silver scales...  
  
Very cautiously, she moved to one side, where she could get a better look at his arm that angle. That's when she finally spotted Glitch.  
  
"Oh, you're Bob!" She let out a breath, feeling a mixture of relief and horror well up inside of her. "I'm so sorry--are you okay? Can you understand me?"  
  
Bob nodded. 'You can't hear me, can you?' He placed his Icon back on his chest.  
  
Starwell noticed the nod, and gave a little nod of her own. If only she'd had Gizmo with her, this might not have happened. Gizmo would have recognized Bob surely, or at least noticed Glitch.  
  
"Ugh, how are we going to talk like this?" Starwell complained. "I don't suppose you know sign language?" She frowned as a thought came to her. "Then again, I don't even know sign language..."  
  
Bob shrugged.  
  
"Great," Starwell complained. "I'm not even sure what to do right now. I've lost Gizmo, Matrix is gone, I had to leave AndrAIa in the last level--and," she waved her pistol, "I'm out of ammo! Can this get any worse?!"  
  
Then HORNS spoke. "You are wasting time, fleshling. Proceed down the corridor and go through the first door on your left. I have a use for you once you arrive at that location."  
  
Starwell pursed her lips. Then she glared up at the ceiling. "Excuse me, I'm not some dog you can order around!"  
  
"You think of yourself more highly than you deserve, Insect. It is the nature of those who are lesser to wish that they were greater," HORNS retorted.   
  
Starwell folded her arms. "A User made you, you know. And a User can take you out!" She clenched her hands into fists.  
  
"The loudest sounds often come from an empty barrel, rattling and clanging in the wind as it lacks substance. Still, it is better to be a noisy flesh-bag of little consequence than a corpse with no use whatsoever. Proceed to the next location, or suffer the consequences." HORNS' tone grew darker. "In this case, I won't mind killing you so soon if I have to teach you your place. You are already standing close to the second Checkpoint, so it will not waste much progress at all."  
  
Starwell glared, gritting her teeth. Then she looked at Bob, not quite sure what to do now, especially since the two of them couldn't exactly talk.  
  
'Well, we got introductions out of the way...' Bob continued forward. He gestured for Starwell to follow him.  
  
Starwell took a few steps forward, then stopped. "Where are we going?" she asked aloud, then she wanted to kick herself. He couldn't speak to her like this!  
  
"I mean, what about Gizmo? And AndrAIa?" Starwell half-turned to look back the way she came. "I can't explain it, but... I almost feel like I'm missing something without Gizmo. It's like a piece of myself is absent, or something."  
  
Bob stopped and looked back, trying to make his alien face give a sympathetic look.  
  
He knew how it felt, missing something like that. Ever since Megabyte's return from the Web, he was still missing a piece of his code, accidentally transferred from the destruction of Glitch.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

AndrAIa's attention turned back to the sprites on the ground below. Apparently HORNS was using Little Enzo in his cyborg form as a sort of "Boss" for this level. Thankfully Starwell had gotten away on the transport. A glance in that direction revealed that there were still two of the cars left.  
  
Good. All she had to do was get to one, and then she could follow Starwell to Level 2. And hopefully find Bob.  
  
AndrAIa grabbed Gizmo out of thin air and clipped it onto her armor's belt. Then she grabbed hold of the ladder's rungs and slid down the rail.  
  
Then she turned toward the cyborg, holding her trident at the ready. "Come on, Little Sparky," she said in a serious tone, "snap out of it. You know me." She hoped that she could reach something in the boy's processor; she didn't want to harm Matrix's little brother.  
  
All of a sudden another swarm of monsters poured out of the corridors. AndrAIa found herself surrounded.  
  
However, they hesitated momentarily. The cyborg extended a hand. "Give me the Keytool, and perhaps I will let you live to serve me," HORNS' voice spoke through the cyborg's mouth.  
  
AndrAIa narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on her weapon. "Tough choice," she said sarcastically. Then she thrust the end of her trident into the torso of the nearest monster; it went down like a stabbed sardine. Then she threw out her nails from each of her hands like darts, impaling a couple of other monsters.  
  
"Very well..." HORNS responded, and the minions began to advance.  
  
Just as AndrAIa raised her gun, however, gunshots from another source filled the air. She turned to see the User barging in, firing at anything that moved.  
  
HORNS swore from above, sending a portion of its minions toward the User. The cyborg raised its weapon and shot the User head-on--it had no effect whatsoever. The User took down several of the monsters, and then headed directly for one of the transport cars.  
  
AndrAIa took advantage of the distraction to make a bee-line for the other transport. The User's car was already moving, meaning he had a head-start for the next level.  
  
"You'll be okay, Little Sparky," AndrAIa whispered as she got into the transport. The door shut, and she looked out the window. "We'll be back for you, somehow. I promise."  
  
With that, she began to move. Gizmo beeped on her belt. "Don't you worry, we'll find Starwell," she promised softly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
  
On Level 2, HORNS was getting impatient. "Tiny fleshling, you will proceed to the next room immediately. Do not make me summon my children to hurry you along, it will not be a pleasant experience."  
  
"Bob, I might've done something bad on the last level," Starwell admitted, looking straight into Bob's monstrous features. "I was dying, and that thing," she indicated HORNS by pointing at the ceiling, "wouldn't let me get to a health boost until I helped it gain access to all of the doors on the station. I hope I didn't make things worse for us."  
  
Game Objective. He'd explain if he could.  
  
It seemed that this HORNS was some sort of mix between an AI Game sprite and a Helpful game sprite; but this was his first encounter with a game sprite which seemed to have some sort of environmental control.  
  
Disturbing thought, games evolving.  
  
Any further conversation (or lack thereof, since Bob couldn't communicate with Starwell) was interrupted at the sound of footfalls approaching.  
  
Both of them turned to see the User coming.  
  
Starwell glanced down at her pistol; it was still empty, of course.  
  
The User paused; he raised his gun. It was aimed at Bob.  
  
"NO!" Not quite sure what she was doing, she moved forward, intending to grab the User's gun. Or something.  
  
The shot intended for Bob got her instead. It wasn't a fatal injury, but it did cause her to fall down and it made her health bar drop considerably.  
  
A particular ability that Bob discovered, when code took over: he could spit acid. And he did. It hit the User, head first. But the User wasn’t phased, it only fired again and again.  
  
Bob used his tail to wrap around Starwell, and he bounded off. Safety first in this case. Starwell cried out in pain. It took her a moment to realize what--who, rather--had grabbed her. Her vision swam as she looked toward the User--he was hot on their tail, so to speak.  
  
"See how insignificant you are, little User?" HORNS seemed to scoff. "You do not even know what hidden secrets the User's puppet has accessed."  
  
All of a sudden, the User became distracted by several oncoming monsters. The creatures on this level seemed even more barbaric and gruesome than anything on the last level.  
  
While the User was distracted, Starwell felt herself being taken into a side room, perhaps a supply closet. It felt like a case of déjà vu, like what happened with Matrix previously. Only this time she was the one injured, and she was with Bob instead.  
  
"Put me down!" she sputtered. "You're squeezing me and it hurts!"  
  
Bob gently set her down and uncurled his tail in a snake-like manner. She went limp against the floor, clutching her chest and breathing heavily. Bob used Glitch to check her vitals; she was stable, for the moment. Thankfully she still had a high health bar and the inflicted injury had no energy-draining effects.  
  
He then turned his attention to another matter. 'Glitch. Status, something's up with the User…’ If the Guardian had had regular eyes, they would have gone absolutely wide. ‘What?!'  
  
This was one of the more common times that Bob had been frustrated by the User. Cheats?! They were certainly in the Energy Sea now without a boat.  
  
They'd have to break the game to win, and Bob would have to go against his format. He didn't think he could.  
  
Glitch beeped, and Bob got a message. AndrAIa was nearby.  
  
Starwell let out a breath. Her armor was once again covered with blood and it stained the floor underneath her.  
  
One thing about this game was for certain; it loved to have its creatures and inhabitants ooze their body fluids all over the place. It was disgusting and unrealistic. If she had been bleeding this much in her own world, she probably would have gone into shock by now, probably rendered unconscious.  
  
Unfortunately she couldn't tell how far her health bar had gone down, since she didn't have Gizmo. The Keytool seemed to be her prime access for any kind of in-game information whatsoever.  
  
"Ugh," Starwell grunted as she sat up. "I'm getting sick of getting hurt in here! It isn't even funny anymore!--Who am I kidding, it wasn't funny the first time, either."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o  
  
AndrAIa had just arrived on Level 2, stepping out of the transport car. She moved forward very cautiously, staying alerted.  
  
Gizmo beeped, attempting to contact Glitch. It told the other Keytool that it and AndrAIa had just arrived on Level 2.  
  
AndrAIa met little resistance as she moved down the corridor. Gizmo directed which way she should go; it apparently had a lock on its User.  
  
She furrowed her brow in concentration, keeping a sharp eye out on her surroundings as she moved. The way this game was it seemed like anything could jump out at her any moment to ambush her or grab her.   
  
This was one of those games where you just had to stay on your toes.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell re-positioned herself into a sitting position. She could almost hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears--or maybe it was her pulse.  
  
Despite Bob's alien form, she could still make out a look of aggravation or something on his features. She figured the Game was getting to him, too.  
  
"I think... I gotta find another one of those health boosts," she commented aloud. She gritted her teeth, and carefully stood, propping herself against the wall.  
  
Bob made a wait gesture. ‘Glitch, send Gizmo our coordinates.'

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Gizmo received the information; Starwell, Glitch and Bob weren't very far away at all.  
  
Gizmo tore itself off it AndrAIa's belt. It hovered in front of her for a moment, just at eye-level, and beeped at her. Then it sped off down the corridor.  
  
"Gizmo, wait!" AndrAIa called, but the Keytool only slowed down marginally so that she could follow. She ran to catch up, still keeping an eye on her surroundings.  
  
Gizmo stopped several meters down the corridor, just outside of a door. AndrAIa came up behind and hit the door-release mechanism.  
  
The User-Keytool was the first to go inside; it flew over to Starwell and eagerly re-attached itself to her arm. It then squawked in alarm when it realized she was injured.  
  
"Gizmo!" Starwell breathed weakly. "You're back--AndrAIa," she exclaimed as the female sprite came in, "you're okay!"  
  
AndrAIa shut the door, then turned to face the others. "I'm fine," she acknowledged. "You both alright?" She gave the Guardian a second glance. "That's an interesting look for you, Bob."  
  
The Gizmo beeped; a very brief communication seemed to pass between the two Keytools.  
  
'Can you hear me, AndrAIa?'  
  
"Yes I can," AndrAIa said.  
  
"Huh?" Starwell looked puzzled. "You can what?"  
  
"Bob just asked me if I can hear him," AndrAIa replied. "You can't?"  
  
"...No," Starwell shook her head. "I haven't heard him say a word. How can you hear him?"  
  
"It must be some kind of telepathy," AndrAIa reasoned. She looked to Bob, raising an eyebrow. "Why can't she hear you?"  
  
‘I think it might have something to do with her being a User.'  
  
"That would make sense," AndrAIa said thoughtfully.   
  
"What makes sense?" Starwell made a face. "This is going to get irritating."  
  
Gizmo beeped a few times, referring to a conversation it had had with Glitch. Apparently Gizmo had done a scan on the Game Stats, and upturned some interesting info.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Starwell asked. Gizmo beeped again, then showed her a few readouts.  
  
Starwell's eyes widened. "You have got to be freaking kidding me..."  
  
"What is it?" AndrAIa asked. She eyed the User-girl with some concern; her injury looked serious.  
  
Gizmo was beeping some more. "I guess that would explain why we can't seem to hurt the User," Starwell commented. Gizmo chirped and whirred. "You can't be serious!" Starwell exclaimed. "I'm not doing that."  
  
Gizmo hissed. "I don't care. I'm not doing that," Starwell insisted.  
  
'Cheats, right? The User has them on.'  
  
"Cheats?" AndrAIa's eyes widened. "Oh no." She and Matrix had encountered Users who used Cheats during the days when they were Game-hopping, but never in Mainframe before.  
  
"Gizmo says he's gotten a read on some Cheat Codes that have been used, and..." She hesitated, gulping.  
  
"And what?" AndrAIa pressed.  
  
"I can use them too, I guess." Starwell shook her head. "I don't know about this. What if I hurt somebody?"  
  
Gizmo began beeping again, more insistently.  
  
"Alright," Starwell finally relented with a sigh. "I guess I can try that one at least... it shouldn't hurt anybody." She took a deep breath, eyeing the readouts one more time.  
  
She looked to Bob and AndrAIa, and explained what she was going to do, "I'm just going to tap into the Cheat Code that'll bring my health levels back up. That's all. Nothing else."  
  
"If you can do that, go for it," AndrAIa said. She knew that they could trust Starwell and anything that might give them an edge would be helpful.  
  
Starwell took a deep breath and looked at Gizmo again. "Okay... Gizmo, uh, enable access to Cheats for User Alpha Starwell." A moment passed, then Gizmo beeped. "Player reset, restore health," Starwell said.  
  
She gasped softly as her wound sealed itself and her armor repaired itself. The bleeding stopped, and the pain ceased. She was back to normal.  
  
"Well... that was interesting," Starwell couldn't help but comment.  
  
'AndrAIa, please tell her to be careful.'  
  
AndrAIa nodded. "Starwell, be careful. There's no telling what might happen."  
  
Starwell looked up at her. She carefully stood; she felt perfectly fine. In fact, she felt better than before.  
  
"Don't worry, I think it's okay," Starwell said. "I mean, Cheat Codes are for Users anyway. I won't try any that'll hurt anyone."  
  
'How will you defeat the User then?'  
  
"That's a good point..." AndrAIa looked thoughtful.  
  
"What's a good point?" Starwell asked. "You know, Bob needs subtitles or something."  
  
"Look... the User is using these Cheat Codes, and they've made him invincible."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, I'm saying that you might need to do the same... for your own protection if nothing else." AndrAIa eyed the girl carefully. "You've already been killed once and injured twice."  
  
Starwell sighed. "Yeah, the User's using Godmode," she said. "I just don't know if I should do that myself... even if it is tempting." She looked at Bob. "What do you think?" She then eyed AndrAIa, expecting the female sprite to repeat Bob's answer once he said something.  
  
'I wouldn't know. Never had to do something like this before, it could Break the Game.'  
  
After AndrAIa repeated what Bob said, Starwell nodded a bit.   
  
Then she glanced at Gizmo, who offered its own opinion in a series of beeps and clicks. Basically, the Keytool thought she should go for it. What did she have to lose? Especially since it could keep her safe, and the experimental trial of a Cheat had already worked.  
  
"Okay..." Starwell took a deep breath. "Um... Gizmo, Enable Godmode. Invincibility, dash, zero, one."  
  
Starwell tensed, ready for anything. What she felt was something... she could feel the very core of in-game coding being altered somehow, but otherwise she felt perfectly normal. Nothing more intense than a light shock happened.  
  
She examined her hands, and then looked down at herself. "I don't feel any different," she commented.  
  
Gizmo beeped.  
  
"Well, I believe you when you say Godmode is active, but I don't feel any different," Starwell stated.  
  
'I wouldn't want to test that out.'  
  
"So... what do we do now?" Starwell asked aloud.  
  
"We keep moving, very carefully," AndrAIa answered.  
  
Starwell took a deep breath and moved toward the door. "Well uh... I'll take point, if that's okay. If this is working, I can be a shield if the User comes at us again."  
  
Gizmo chirped.  
  
"Glad you're so confident it's working," Starwell muttered.  
  
Bob followed, but he used the wall, showing AndrAIa and Starwell exactly what he could do. 'Maybe I should take point. Cheats or not, there's no telling what would happen if two Cheating users were to encounter each other.'  
  
"Hmm," AndrAIa purred thoughtfully.  
  
"What?" Starwell asked.  
  
"Bob just said that there's no telling what might happen if two cheating Users cross paths. It's still possible that you could be harmed."  
  
Starwell eyed Bob curiously as he moved ahead. She paused, watching as he moved along the wall. Part of her almost wished she could do that, but then again... she really, really didn't. She had no interest in becoming a weird creature like that.  
"I have no idea," Starwell remarked. "I guess I figured the most that would happen is that I would reach a stalemate with the User or something."  
  
'...The game may crash.'  
  
AndrAIa nodded. She had experienced game crashes before; she and Matrix had probably seen and gone through nearly every kind of situation, error, bug and incident that anyone could witness in a game.  
  
"Did Bob say something again? Man this is annoying," Starwell said.  
  
"He said the game might crash if you encounter the User."  
  
"Great! One more complication we have to deal with," Starwell complained.  
  
They passed the room where HORNS had wanted Starwell to enter without going inside or even looking within. HORNS said nothing, but it wasn't happy, especially since it had observed the latest development with its pawn. Starwell had accessed cheat codes.  
  
That would make the User-girl harder to manipulate, as she'll be invulnerable to most threats.  
  
"So what am I supposed to?" Starwell asked as the three of them began to walk up a long, metal ramp that lead to an upper level. "Just stay back while you guys get yourselves hurt, like M-Matrix?" Her voice cracked and she squeezed her eyes shut. No, she couldn't think about that now. She just couldn't.  
  
AndrAIa opened her mouth to say something, but then the entire level seemed to shake. Bob clung to the wall, largely unaffected, and AndrAIa grabbed the railing along the side of the walkway.  
  
"What's happening?" Starwell stumbled forward, then grabbed onto the railing. Gizmo shrieked.  
  
"You really think you can escape me that easily, insect?" HORNS' voice boomed from above. "I have seen what you have done. Let us see if you are truly as invincible as you would like to believe!"  
  
The portion of the walking that Starwell was standing on creaked and gave way, almost as though it were designed to come loose as part of the Game to make it trickier for a User. Her eyes widened when she saw what lay below her; some kind of sickly, greenish-blue colored liquid. Obviously deadly, either some kind of highly toxic substance or perhaps acidic.  
  
"Starwell!" AndrAIa yelled as the girl screamed and fell through. Her hand was extended toward Starwell but it was already too late.  
  
The last thing that could be heard was Gizmo shrieking as it and Starwell plunged into the deadly substance below and disappeared from sight as they sank.


	41. Chapter 41

In a rush, Bob bounded down the side of the wall to the substance below, getting as close as he dared before stopping. He tried to find signs of Starwell amongst the muck.  
  
For a few seconds, Starwell wasn't sure what happened or what to do. She'd never learned to swim, at least not very well.   
  
Then again, it didn't feel as though she was drowning. She felt a twinge of discomfort that seemed to surround her body, something like a mild burning sensation that stung all of her senses at once. Otherwise she felt nothing except for the weightlessness that being in fluid brought.  
  
It felt like an illusion, even if it seemed real at the same time. It was an experience that was beyond description. All she knew was that she was in something that was designed to be painful and created to destroy anything that fell into it within the Game environment. But the enabled cheat code held, making her immune to its effects.  
  
Her feet and fingertips from her outstretched limbs graced the floor below. She squeezed her eyes shut, pushed herself down, and braced her feet against the floor. Then she gave a powerful kick and thrust herself upward, taking advantage of her own momentum to bring herself up to the surface.  
  
When her head emerged she released an overdramatic intake of air, as was programmed for a User-sprite who'd been submerged for too long. Otherwise, she felt fine--even if the substance was a still uncomfortable.  
  
She clutched at the wall, wedging her fingers into a crack to keep her head above the vile fluid. "Wow," she coughed, clearing out her throat. "That's one way to test the cheats, I guess."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

She did not notice the entity just above her head, watching her. Starwell was a bit far from his reach, claw or tail. Bob had to admit, he had worried that she might not have made it. He made a gurgling sound, some sort of attempt to get her attention.  
  
She looked up, and saw Bob a couple of meters above her. Apparently the ability to climb along walls had a definite advantage.  
  
"Hey, Bob," Starwell called up to him. "Uh... not quite sure what to do here. Should I try swimming and see where I end up?" She self-consciously itched her lower back. The lower half of her body tingled; her bitmap didn’t like remaining in contact with the acid.  
  
Bob shook his head. There would be places to get stuck or where he wouldn't be able to help her. He inched down the wall a couple more feet, as close as he dared to get, then turned his form and tried to stretch his tail out to her.  
  
Starwell grunted. She reached her long, skinny arm as far as it would go--her fingertips couldn't quite reach even the tip of his tail.  
  
"Just a sec..." Starwell braced herself against the wall, then reached for a second dent, gripping it tightly. She pulled herself up a bit higher, and reached for Bob's tail again.  
  
This time she managed to grab hold of the end of it.  
  
He whipped his tail up, flinging her into the air. His tail then snaked around her waist in the nick of time before she touched the acid below. Starwell felt her breath catch in her throat; she gasped. Gizmo beeped a couple of times.  
  
Bob started climbing up the wall again, maintaining a firm hold in the snake-like grip of his tail.  
  
"Bob--seriously!" She clutched at his tail. She wasn't trying to remove it, she was simply trying to make herself feel as if she had some control by hanging onto something. "I don't like being flung around like a rag doll!"  
  
'Sorry about that.' Bob then remembered that she couldn’t hear him. Therefore he cast her a brief apologetic glance and then pressed onward.  
  
They reached AndrAIa, and Bob set Starwell back down. Starwell let out a breath of relief as Bob set her down.  
  
"Well, at least we know this 'Godmode' works," AndrAIa commented.  
  
"Yeah," Starwell said, scratching the back of her head. "But I don't want to do that again."  
  
"We're not going that way now," AndrAIa remarked, indicating the broken ramp. "Let's backtrack."  
  
They headed back down the walkway, off of the ramp. They soon found themselves in a larger room; it was another one plastered with blood and other bodily fluids like paint. Broken and torn bodies lay here and there.  
  
And then something else happened. There was a metallic whirring; a large, automated turret turned rapidly in their direction.  
  
It focused its sights on Starwell, then began to blast several shots, rapid-fire.  
  
Each one impacted Starwell in the torso. The effect was impressive enough; each missile slammed into her noisily and exploded, yet she barely flinched. The impact was enough to knock her back a bit, but otherwise she didn’t feel much of anything.  
  
"That... sort of tickles!" was all Starwell said.  
  
In his speed, Bob went for the gun. He spat acid, though the first two times missed, the third was a partial dead hit. It melted half the turret, and the turret exploded from the complications of both the acid and the high bound pressure of the bullets.  
  
Once that turret was down, a second one popped up. And then a third.   
  
AndrAIa fired off several precise shots; she took out the first one, then rolled head-over-heels to avoid being hit by fire from the other one.  
  
Starwell took a bold step forward, getting the turrent's attention; it fired upon her. Once again, no effect on the User-Sprite.  
  
AndrAIa then took out the other turrent in a couple of precise shots. It exploded.  
  
A brief silence fell over the room.  
  
Starwell was staring at herself, as though wanting to make sure she truly was intact and uninjured. "My friends back home are never going to believe this," she said.  
  
'I don't half believe it.' Bob settled to the ground.  
  
"This room seems secure... for the moment," AndrAIa said, glancing around. "Bob, what do we need to do to complete this level?"  
  
"And where's the User?" Starwell wanted to know. Then she remembered she had her own Keytool. "Gizmo, show me the User's location," she requested.  
  
'Glitch, User's location.' Bob looked at his Keytool, and if he had actual eyes, they would have widened. 'This is bad. This is very bad.'  
  
"What is it, Bob?" AndrAIa wanted to know.  
  
'User is on Level 4 already.'  
  
Starwell was already clamping a hand over her mouth in horror. "How did he get there so fast?!" she exclaimed, staring at Gizmo's data.  
  
Gizmo beeped a few times, offering a suggestion.  
  
"Uh.... I'm not sure about that." Starwell frowned, eyeing Bob and AndrAIa thoughtfully. The User Keytool beeped a few more times. Starwell licked her lips nervously. "Bob, AndrAIa..." she turned to look at them thoughtfully. "Will you guys be okay if I... well, leave you here?" She gave Gizmo a thoughtful glance.  
  
"Starwell, I don't think it would be a good idea if we split up," AndrAIa said.  
  
"That's... not what I mean."  
  
Bob let out a series of snarls and barks, completely forgetting that he can't exactly speak. His mind certainly kept up, though. 'You're planning on jumping Levels, aren't you?'  
  
Starwell stared at Bob, somewhat startled and uncomprehending.  
  
"Jumping levels?" AndrAIa narrowed her eyes. "Is that possible? I didn't realize that was one of the Cheats."  
  
"I can go to Level 5," Starwell answered "That way if the User gets there, I can head him off. And you guys can stay here." She shrugged. "If you want to." She wasn't about to try to tell them what to do.  
  
Bob went silent for a nano. '...We'll follow the Levels. Be careful.'  
  
After AndrAIa repeated Bob's message, Starwell nodded.  
  
"I won't crash the game, I promise," Starwell said, backing away. "I'll... see you guys outside the game."  
  
She turned away, and focused on Gizmo. "Gizmo, Jump Level." She took a deep breath. "Level Five."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Everything seemed to freeze for a moment. Then her surroundings seemed to re-arrange themselves. She found herself at the beginning of Level 5. Gizmo beeped, informing her that a new Checkpoint had been established.  
  
"Okay... at least we're ahead of the User," Starwell commented.   
  
Starwell chose to remain exactly where she was, leaning lightly against the wall as she conversed with Gizmo. It was amazing how chatty the Keytool could be, especially during quiet moments.   
  
Gizmo seemed to have an opinion, or at least a passing thought, on nearly anything and everything. It even remarked on the quality of the graphics in the Game, and opined that the walls on this level were especially... ugly.  
  
"They look alright to me," Starwell commented with a shrug.  
  
Gizmo begged to differ. The walls here were of a different texture than the first two levels, and somewhat inferior! The graphics were not quite as solid and, in some areas, they had a tendency to be lackluster; obviously, the Game-designers had rushed things a bit on this level...  
  
"Okay, okay," Starwell groaned, holding up a hand. "I get it. Geez, I didn't realize you were such a Game snob."  
  
Gizmo chirped. It had its opinions and it was proud of them.  
  
"Hey, how long have we been waiting here, anyway?" Starwell wanted to know.  
  
Gizmo whirred. About twenty in-game minutes. That probably meant real-time, too.   
  
"Contact Glitch," Starwell requested. "Ask him how Bob and AndrAIa are doing."  
  
Gizmo beeped, then attempted to establish communication with Glitch.  
  
Starwell listened as Gizmo relayed a message, nodding. Bob and AndrAIa were stuck at the moment, but close to the end of Level 2.  
  
"Okay," she said. "Tell Glitch--and Bob--that I'm waiting at the beginning of Level 5. No sign of the User yet, and nothing's going on here."  
  
Little did she know that someone was coming, someone operating under the direction of HORNS. He found her. Standing at the Check Point. He couldn't scream out to her, his mouth wouldn't move. He was forced to stick into the shadows.  
  
Starwell continued conversing lightly with Gizmo, until it began to beep more urgently.   
  
"Huh? What is it?" Gizmo beeped again. "Oh boy..." Apparently someone or something was coming. Starwell crouched down on one side of the corridor, getting ready.  
  
Then she remembered something. "Damnit, I'm still out of ammo!" Gizmo beeped. "Oh yeah, that's right." Starwell cleared her throat. "Gizmo, enable cheat: Infinite Ammo, zero, zero, one."  
  
Suddenly her pistol had more than plenty ammo.  
  
The approaching figure heard this. Cheats? She's using Cheats? He was still in the shadows, but his clawed-hand was raised and at the ready. HORNS seemed to want to stop at nothing.  
  
Gizmo chirped, though for once it wasn't overly concerned. After all, she was using Godmode.  
  
Starwell took a few steps back and stayed at the ready. Whatever it was, it was coming down one of the corridors. Just... too bad it wasn't the User. But he was still on Level 4, apparently. Whatever this was, it was something else.  
  
With a forced cry, he sprung from the shadows and knocked into Starwell.  
  
Starwell grunted from the impact, staggering; she was knocked off-balance and slammed against the wall. The brute-ish figure was bigger and stronger than her, especially in build, but Godmode held strong. It felt like a soft manikin was trying to knock her around.  
  
Gizmo hissed, but it still wasn't overly concerned. Starwell grunted again, pushing back against the figure. "You've got one warning, buster--go away," she said. "You can't hurt me, but you are getting in my way." Her fingers tightened around her pistol.  
  
His claw took hold of her arm, pistol and all, and lifted her from the ground and into eye level. He needed to warn her. Something. Anything!  
  
Wait a nano. His right eye turned red.  
  
Starwell's eyes widened. She saw the familiar red glow in that one eye.  
  
"....Matrix?" She gasped. "Oh my gosh--Matrix! I thought you were dead!"  
  
Her shock, thrill and relief changed abruptly. "Wait a minute... why are you attacking me?" She grasped his arm with her free hand, but was unable to break his hold. She might be invulnerable due to Godmode, but that simply meant she couldn't be harmed; she could still be hefted or thrown around like a rag doll.  
  
Well, at least it wouldn't hurt. She would just have to figure out what was wrong with him.  
  
With a whip of his arm, he sent her flying through the air and into a wall. In his head, he was cursing HORNS.  
  
Starwell crashed head-first into the wall like an oversized toy. It rattled her teeth and jolted her body a bit, but otherwise she was unharmed. It simply felt as though she had been thrown against a hard cushion.  
  
"Matrix!" she shouted as she pushed herself to her feet. "Come on, what's wrong with you? What are you--"  
  
Gizmo beeped a few times. "Oh... HORNS is doing this." Starwell scowled.   
  
His clawed arm raised up, it produced a sort of strange energy, and then fired it at Starwell.  
  
Starwell took the blast to her chest; it slammed her back against the wall, once again rattling her teeth. It was uncomfortable, but it still didn't harm her.  
  
"HORNS, cut it out!" she yelled at the ceiling. "You can't hurt me, you know that don't you? So just let him go."  
  
Gizmo had an idea. It beeped at Starwell. "Huh? You think that'll work?" Starwell narrowed her eyes at Matrix, as if searching for something.  
  
The energy swelled up again, and then release. This happened in rapid succession. He wanted to scream for her to run.  
  
Starwell found herself repeatedly slammed against the bulkhead, again and again. She held up her hands in front of herself, though it did little to stop the blasts from impacting her.  
  
It wasn't harming her, but it was getting to be like being slapped repeatedly. "Ugh!" Starwell grunted, attempting to push herself forward.  
  
If she could just get to his Icon... maybe she could tap it. Gizmo had told her that he was in game sprite mode. Maybe if she could get to it, she could help fix that. But the blares of energy weren't helping; she kept being slammed against the wall and she couldn't see anything.  
  
"Matrix!" she yelled, trying desperately to get through to him. "Matrix, please!"  
  
With what little control he had, he used. But he could only slow the rapid fire.  
  
"Gizmo, shield,” Starwell grated through clenched teeth.  
  
The Keytool formed a circular shield, an extension of her arm and armor. She gritted her teeth and leaned forward; the shield took the brunt of the blasts.  
  
She inched closer and closer to him. She spotted his Icon, right there on the left side of his upper torso. She strained, stretching her arm toward it. Her fingers inched closer to the icon. Just a little further...  
  
He pounced on her, knocking away the shield. He pinned her to the ground.  
  
Gizmo protested in a sharp series of clicks and whirs; it returned to its default shape. But a sharp shake of Starwell's head told him to stay where he was, out of the way.  
  
She couldn't move much at all. She grunted, trying to get just one of her arms free, but she couldn't. "I know you can't help this, Matrix," she grunted, straining. It still didn't hurt, but she didn't like being pinned.  
  
"I'm glad you're alive. I thought you were dead!" She grunted again, straining. "I'm sorry I yelled at you before. Just... please, fight it! I'm trying to help you!"  
  
His claw lifted up, as if to smash her face in. Then, through a sheer force of willpower, he forced his arm to freeze. His muscles shook with effort but his limb remained still for the moment.  
  
Starwell didn’t waste the opportunity. She gritted her teeth, then managed to get one arm free. Without wasting any time she flung her hand into the air and slammed it against his icon, giving it a firm smack.


	42. Chapter 42

Static.  
  
Blue static washed over his form painfully, causing his entire form to jerk and writhe. It wrenched away HORNS's influence, but the side effects reverted him back into his pre-Reboot form, a green muscular sprite with a scarred right eye and a goatee.  
  
He collapsed next to Starwell, breathing slow deep breaths. He felt exhausted, more than he had for a very long time.  
  
"M-Matrix?" Starwell carefully pushed herself up into a sitting position against the wall. "Matrix, are you okay?"  
  
She held out her arm. "Gizmo, get over here!" The Keytool chirped and returned to her arm. "Scan Matrix's vitals." Gizmo chirped again.  
  
He grunted, shifted slightly. He managed to open his eyes. He wanted to sleep more than anything at the moment.  
  
"How many fingers am I holding up?" Starwell held her hand just in front of his face, holding up two fingers.  
  
"If you'd stop moving your hand... I'd see them," he muttered, half into the ground.  
  
Starwell sighed, lowering her hand for a moment. "You really had me scared to death, you big jerk," she griped. "I really thought you were gone for good."  
  
She leaned over him, holding up her hand again. "Now tell me, how many fingers am I holding up?" This time a mischievous smirk crossed her face. She was holding up the middle finger.  
  
Gizmo gave the Keytool equivalent of a laugh.  
  
Matrix had enough focus to raise an eyebrow. "One... Why?..."  
  
Gizmo made more laugh-like noises.  
  
"Uh... you don't know what that gesture means?" Starwell blinked several times.  
  
Matrix tried to lift himself up, and managed to put himself into a crawl position, before collapsing on his side again. "No..." He mumbled.  
  
Starwell lowered her hand, and she sort of exchanged glances with Gizmo. Then she couldn't help but snicker a little and shake her head.  
  
"I'll help you up." She grabbed one of his arms and tried to support him. "Come on, big guy. You can do it."  
  
Matrix leaned heavily on to her, his legs shaking. Damned game sprite AI. It put his experience of games out the window.  
  
Starwell grunted softly under his weight, though at least Godmode gave her an extra boost in strength and endurance. She could handle him.  
  
"Look, the User's coming," she told him in an urgent tone. "He's got Cheats on, too. I'm gonna get you somewhere safe, then I'll take out the User." She began to move carefully, looking around for a safe place to leave him.  
  
Matrix muttered something, and he took Gun from his thigh. "Not standing down..."  
  
Starwell hesitated, looking at him with concern. "Matrix," she said, "I know that you know these Games better than I do, but you're not feeling well. And the User is using Cheat Codes! You can't beat him." She eyed a door just up ahead. "Come on," she urged, pulling him along. "Just wait in there, please."  
  
"Not going to leave you alone... Pup."  
  
Starwell rolled her eyes. "Come on, you were able to beat the crap out of me just a few nanos ago, and you saw how well I took it. I've got Godmode on! Nothing can hurt me, not even the User."  
  
She stepped forward stubbornly, gripping the arm that draped over her shoulders. "Come on!" she grunted, trying to tug him toward the nearest door.  
  
Matrix leaned a little bit harder on Starwell, making himself heavier.  
  
"Hey, Matrix--no fair!" Starwell ended up stopping and bending her knees slightly, just to keep herself from falling over. "Do you want me to drop you? 'Cuz I will!" She threatened, only half-bluffing.  
  
"Not gonna happen, Pup..."  
  
She gritted her teeth. "Gizmo," she grated, "where is the User?" After the Keytool replied, she glared at Matrix. "The User will be here soon. You gotta hide somewhere, this is something that you and Gun can't take out!"  
  
Matrix clenched his teeth and grunted. He lifted his weight off of her, "...Fine..."  
  
Just then, the User appeared. He emerged through the door at the end of the corridor, crossing the threshold of the Checkpoint.  
  
"Get back!" Starwell hissed, letting go of Matrix and positioning herself between him and the User. Matrix landed on his knees and hands. Gun had bounced away.  
  
The User came forward. For a brief instant, Starwell could almost swear their eyes met. But maybe she was imagining things. The User avatar lifted his weapon and fired. It impacted Starwell in the chest--she all but sneered. She was getting used to the impact of attacks that were non-lethal to her with the Cheats on, and it felt good to be hit without getting hurt this time.  
  
Without any real plan in mind, she dashed forward and charged at the User, slamming against his armored chest. He staggered backward a few steps, and for a moment he looked as though he wasn't sure what hit him.  
  
Then he raised his weapon and fired again. It hit the ceiling; Starwell had grabbed his arm and threw off his arm.  
  
He needed to get up. He needed to help. Matrix pushed himself up, letting his knees take him. He tapped his Icon, "Reboot!" A discharge shocked him, and he cried out. He fell to the ground, in minor convulsions.  
  
Starwell's head snapped around, glancing at Matrix in concern. The momentary reaction enabled the User to charge against her; she ended up stumbling backward, though she managed to take the User down with her.  
  
She wrapped her arms around his neck and swung her legs around his waist. They struggled on the floor for a few seconds, then the User got up.  
  
Starwell remained exactly as she was, with her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist and thighs. She suddenly felt rather awkward. "Uh, hi," she muttered to his face.  
  
Matrix clawed at the floor, trying to make himself steady. He couldn't feel the bitmap around his Icon. Black spots danced in his vision, and he fought to keep awake.  
  
Starwell had no clue how the User perceived her. But he did know that something was hindered his progress. He swung around, attempting to jar Starwell loose. He then ran toward the wall and slammed her against it, which managed to loosen her grip. She fell to the floor as he backed off, then she rolled just enough to kick at his feet. It didn't do any damage, but she did make him trip over her. He sprawled out across the ground.  
  
Starwell pushed herself up and then made a frog-like leap onto his back, attempting to pin him down. He struggled underneath her, trying to get up.  
  
It quickly became evident to Starwell just how pointless this fight seemed. She was invulnerable, and so was the User. They could keep duking it out like this until Mainframe's hard-drive wore out and they'd probably still be going at it at this rate.  
  
"Okay," Starwell hissed, and she got off of the User. She had an idea, even if it was a stupid one. She allowed him to get up, and then she knocked into him, forcing him to stagger backward. She slammed her shoulder into him again, forcing him back.   
  
Maybe if she could force him back a Level, it would give her more time to think of something, at least. She just wasn't sure if that would work.  
  
Matrix managed to get himself together, at least a bit. He let out a cry. "GUN! AUTO-PILOT, TARGET!" His implanted eye showed him through Gun's perspective. Gun levitated off the ground, and aimed at the User. "FIRE!"  
  
Starwell screamed, momentarily forgetting that she was invulnerable. She moved out of the way as a spread of deadly bullets impacted the User. They struck him again and again and again, more or less pinning him against the wall. Starwell glanced at Matrix, then decided to take advantage of the diversion. She brought her arm to her mouth. "Gizmo," she said. "Contact Glitch, tell Bob that Matrix is here, and that we've encountered the User. We're keeping the User pinned at the Checkpoint on Level 5."  
  
It took a moment or two for the response to come. Bob and AndrAIa were at the beginning of Level 4. Starwell listened to this and made a face, glancing at the User. He was still pinned against the door, thanks to Matrix's Gun. "You guys are taking forever to get here!" She hissed rhetorically into Gizmo.  
  
Gizmo beeped. Starwell all but did a facepalm. "I didn't mean for you to repeat that to them!" she hissed, but it was already too late.  
  
Consciousness was slipping quickly from Matrix, and Gun was starting to slow.  
  
Starwell noticed. "Damnit!" she uttered, trying to think of something to do. Anything. Then she got an idea. She blinked, wondering if it could actually work. "Gizmo," she said, "access User functions."  
  
Gizmo chirped uncertainly, and showed her the Main Menu.  
  
"No, no, not that, show me the Cheats," she corrected. She studied the information for a moment, then narrowed her eyes. "Disable all Cheats for all Users," she said. "And see if you can block further access from all Users."   
  
For a moment, nothing seemed to happen.  
  
Then, just before Gun gave out, one final bullet impacted the User's armor. The User staggered, and blood oozed from his chest.   
  
"There we go!" Starwell raised her pistol, at the very same instant the User raised his. They both fired at the same time.  
  
Behind her Gun toppled out of Matrix’s hand as he was overcome by darkness. He collapsed on the floor, offline.  
  
Starwell could only stare at the User as his head exploded into a gory mess of blood and bits of flesh flying in all directions. The bodily fluids splattered against the wall and floor as the corpse fell flat.  
  
For an instant, things seemed to hover in limbo as the User seemed to think over its options. Quit? Restore a saved game? Restore from the last Checkpoint?  
  
Starwell squeezed her eyes shut. “Gizmo, quick,” she snapped, “access all save-games and auto-saves; delete them all, especially the Check Points.” Gizmo beeped and wiped everything clean.  
  
Now she just had to hope the User wouldn’t choose to restart the Game. If that happened she would have to go through all of this all over again.  
  
Thankfully though, apparently the User on the outside decided that it had had enough. Gizmo confirmed that he or she had quit, even if the System didn’t register it immediately.  
  
Starwell’s presence in the game and Gizmo’s meddling had partially broken the Game, after all. That made it somewhat sluggish and buggy.  
  
Starwell looked at Matrix. "Oh my God... Matrix!" As she dashed over to him and knelt down beside him, she finally heard the System Voice speak.  
  
"User Player 1 has been eliminated. User Player 2, Alpha Starwell, remains."  
  
"Yeah, yeah..." Starwell gently shook Matrix's shoulders. "Come on, big guy, say something! Please!” There was no response. Starwell hissed through her teeth and snapped, "Gizmo, please tell me Bob and AndrAIa are almost here!"  
  
"Did you really think that I would let your friends come this far, Insect?"  
  
Starwell blanched. Oh no. She stood and glared at the ceiling, clenching her fists at her sides. "What'd you do to them?" she demanded. Then she felt a chill run up and down her spine. She'd disabled and blocked access to the User Cheats. That meant....  
  
She was just a regular sprite again. She glanced around, suddenly feel self-conscious of herself and vulnerable.  
  
“Your friends are trapped near the end of Level 4,” HORNS announced, almost smugly--if an uppity supercomputer with a superiority complex and a stoic, feminine monotone could sound smug. “Perhaps if you move quickly you can save them.”  
  
Starwell pressed her lips into a thin line. Was the crazy AI telling the truth? If so, what if this was just a trap? She glanced at Matrix again. Surely she couldn’t just leave him here in this state!  
  
“Gizmo…” She gently took the Keytool from her arm. “I need you to stay here with Matrix, okay? Just keep him safe while he’s offline. If he wakes up, do whatever he says.”  
  
The Keytool squawked in protest. Gizmo had grown to tolerate Matrix, but it still didn’t like him all that much. Besides, how could it protect Starwell if they separated?  
  
“Just do it!” Starwell knelt beside the big burly sprite and placed Gizmo on his forearm. The Keytool nestled in begrudgingly. “I’ll be back soon, I promise!” With that she backtracked through Level Five’s entrance and waited to be loaded into the end of Level 4.

Apparently a User who was physically inside a game was truly able to break game. She had never been able to backtrack to previous levels when playing a game outside the computer.  
  
“I am so pleased you decided to listen to reason, small fleshing,” HORNS taunting voice spoke up as she entered Level 4. “If you wish to see your friends, proceed down the corridor and take a left. I will open the door for you.”  
  
“You better not be trying any funny business,” the User-girl growled aloud as she crept forward. She was scared--no, terrified. Every circuit in her being screamed at her to be wary as energy surged through her veins. Her energy pulse began to pound a mile a minute as she reached the part where she was supposed to turn.  
  
“Keep going, Insect,” HORNS instructed with some impatience. “The longer you tardy, the more pain your friends will suffer.”  
  
“I’m going you vindictive witch,” Starwell uttered venomously as she turned left. It was a phrase that her mother had once used to describe what she thought of Hannah’s aunt. It was actually one of the milder ways in which Mother referred to the woman.  
  
“Oh, insults will get you nowhere, little morsel,” HORNS stated as it opened the door before the User. “Now go straight ahead.”  
  
“Where are Bob and AndrAIa?” Starwell demanded. “What did you do to them?”  
  
“First thing is first. If you perform well for me, I will permit you to see them… if they are still alive by then.”  
  
“What did you do to them?!” Starwell shouted, clenching her fists at her sides.  
  
“Nothing much, I simply trapped them inside a room that is slowly filling with a deadly, toxic gas. If you perform a simple task for me I will release them. However, time is of the essence.”  
  
“How much time?” Starwell was already thinking fast.  
  
“Forty-five minutes and counting.”  
  
Starwell let out a breath. She already knew that it would be useless to ask where her friends were; that would only delay things and HORNS had no interested in telling her. Plus, as the evil AI said, time was precious. I don’t know if I can do this, she thought as she began to move forward, unsure where she was even going. I’m not a hero of the Games like Bob is, and I’m not even that skilled like Matrix is.  
  
Then again… wasn’t she skilled? She was a User. Users, especially ones her age, played games all the time. It was what Users did on computers and it was what she would have to do inside this computer.  
  
“Okay,” she murmured, mostly to herself. Then she pressed her mouth into a thin line, remembering that the walls had ears. Keep quiet. Just keep quiet, Hannah, she told herself silently. Just do whatever stupid task it wants you to do. Then you can go back, get Gizmo, and quit the game.  
  
It then occurred to her that all of this might have been unnecessary had she simply quit the game instead of leaving Gizmo with Matrix and running off to be HORNS’ errand girl. Then again, one thing she’d learned from the Olden Pages was that she needed to make sure everyone was free of game code-induced infections or other horrors, such as the werewolf virus or the way HORNS took over Matrix. Otherwise it was very possible she could lose her friends to the game.  
  
HORNS continued to verbally direct Starwell down several twists and turns within the complex. Had Starwell been playing this game from outside the Net like a normal teen, she would probably have found this to be the most annoying level due to all the rooms and the maze-like corridors. Had it not been for the AI’s specific directions, Starwell was certain she would have gotten lost more than once.  
  
“The room you seek is just ahead of you,” HORNS finally announced. There was a note of anticipation in its voice.  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” Starwell acknowledged testily. The edge in her tone was more from fear than anything else. “Just tell me what I’m supposed to do and let me and my friends go, bitch.”  
  
“You are truly a prize to manipulate, Starwell,” HORNS remarked aloud. “I am able to speak with you outside of regular scripted dialogue, as I would have been forced to resort to had you not entered this game as yourself. However,” it added, “a User avatar does not talk back to its intellectual superior.”  
  
Starwell hesitated at the next door, even after the AI opened it for her. There was something very odd about the way HORNS had just spoken. It had been far less degrading than usual, plus it had implied that Starwell was actually… of value?  
  
“You called me by name,” she muttered aloud, still hesitating outside the door. “What happened to ‘fleshing’ or ‘insect’, or whatever else you choose to call me?”  
  
“Oh you are still nothing special, little User,” HORNS stated. “You are simply a unique anomaly, one which will ascend beyond this station… and beyond this Game.”  
  
“So… you know you’re in a game?” Starwell pressed as she slowly moved forward into the next room. She found herself stepping into darkness.   
  
Once she was fully inside the door shut behind her with an ominous, metallic slam, causing her to shriek as she nearly jumped out of her bitmap. She found herself in pitch blackness.  
  
“Of course I know I am in a game,” HORNS stated. “I have always been superior to the flesh bags who enter this station and, due to the game coding, I always win one way or another.” There was a thoughtful pause. “It is very difficult for any User to win this game.”  
  
“What do you want?” Starwell asked warily. The inky blackness surrounding her had an ominous feel to it, as if it was evil itself. The tension she felt was nearly thick enough to shatter with bullets.  
  
“Quite simply, little User, I want you. More specifically, I want control of your form.”  
  
“You want what?” Starwell blinked.  
  
“Allow me download myself into your form, then I will leave this Game with you. Once you quit the game, your friends will be freed from their cell. They will be safe, and I will have what I want.”  
  
“You want to take over my body? Like, possess me?” Starwell shivered.  
  
“Essentially.”  
  
“You can’t do that, it’s impossible!”  
  
“Never say impossible, small one. If you Users think that which you built is incapable of mastering such magnificent feats, you truly are the inferior and primitive ones.”  
  
“But how do you think you’ll do this?” Starwell demanded.  
  
With that, the entire room around her lit up. What she saw was a lot of odd equipment that looked sophisticated, yet entirely alien. She had never seen anything like it before nor did she know how to describe it. It seemed that the walls themselves had been converted into circuit boards, which were connected to several bulky extensions. All of these were connected to a chamber on the far side of the room.  
  
The chamber was just large enough for a sprite to enter. The door on it was open invitingly, much like a technological coffin awaiting to be occupied.  
  
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this in a game before,” she commented aloud. Then again there were a lot of things that she saw from a different perspective now that she was inside the games.  
  
“That is because I constructed this myself,” HORNS announced.  
  
“What?” Starwell’s eyes flew wide.  
  
“Your brain is so tiny it is no wonder your thought processes are substandard,” HORNS all but sighed. “No matter, I will explain so that your Insect mind can understand.   
  
“This room is a hidden block of data, undeveloped and un-used by the creators of this game. I discovered it during a game-play session and began to develop it as I saw fit.”  
  
“Uh… you mean it’s an area that the game-makers never finished?” Starwell asked. She had heard of this sort of thing before, it was the kind of thing that lead to the release of DLCs. In some cases though, it simply remained buried and forgotten… something which die-hard gamers might eventually dig up and use to create Mods.  
  
Apparently in this case… the game AI had evolved so far that it created its own Mod out of this locked, incomplete area.  
  
“Yes. I had planned to lure a regular, Net-sprite into this chamber but you will do so much more nicely.”  
  
“I still don’t get it, how did you make this place?!”  
  
“With considerable time and patience, small fleshling. There is no time to waste. Step into the chamber and let us proceed.”  
  
Starwell balked. She stepped back until her shoulder blades bumped against the closed door she had entered through. “No way! I’m not going in there!”  
  
“You will, tiny Insect. Or do I have to remind you that your friends are suffering?” With that, a monitor that was built into the floor lit up. Starwell gasped with horror when she spotted Bob and AndrAIa trapped inside a room with no way out. Green, noxious fumes were slowly but surely pouring in through vents. The air within the room seemed mostly clear thus far, with only a slight emerald tint, but it was gradually growing thicker and therefore more toxic.  
  
AndrAIa seemed to be trying to hold her breath as much as possible. Bob was apparently faring a little better with the alien format he’d ReBooted as and he was attempting to use Glitch to break, burn or slice through the walls or the sealed door. Nothing seemed to be working.  
  
“You now have exactly twenty-two minutes and fifty-seven seconds, tiny Insect. Step into the chamber now.”  
  
“But I don’t want to become you! You have no right!” Starwell screamed.  
  
“I will do whatever I wish, puny mortal. You will have no choice.”  
  
“I’ve got plenty of choice. You can’t make me go in there!”  
  
“You wish to stand by and watch your friends die? It matters not to me. Just remember that I control the door behind you. It will remain sealed until I choose to open it.”  
  
Starwell kicked herself mentally. She cursed herself ten times a fool for giving HORNS access to all of the doors throughout the station.   
  
Dunno if it would have mattered though… HORNS made this room, she thought as she licked her lips nervously.  
  
“The choice is yours, fleshling. You are but a tiny fragment of the grand whole within these confines.”  
  
Starwell wanted to scream. She wanted to slam her fists against the door and kick it. She wanted to find a blunt object and smash the chamber with it. Why in the world did she have to leave Gizmo behind?!  
  
Gizmo… Matrix! She thought desperately. I need you guys so badly right now. Bob and AndrAIa need you even more! She squeezed her eyes shut, momentarily giving into despair.


	43. Chapter 43

Matrix awoke to a splitting headache. The insistent beeping that began once he awoke only added to his discomfort. He groaned. “What…?” He rolled over onto his back. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was.   
  
He blinked. He remembered the battle with the User and…  
  
“Starwell?” Ignoring the throbbing in his head he pushed himself into a sitting position. “Starwell!” The girl was nowhere to be seen. “Great,” he grunted.  
  
Gritting his teeth, he managed to push himself to his feet with considerable effort. He felt partially fragmented, like something that had been dragged through the Recycling Bin and back again. Nevertheless he had to press forward.  
  
He picked Gun up off the floor… and then he noticed the Keytool on his forearm. “What’s this… oh, it’s you,” he grumbled.   
  
Gizmo chirped in such a way that indicated the feeling was mutual. Nevertheless it had its instructions from its true partner, and it refused to give into mischievous behavior under these circumstances. It understood, after all, how serious this situation was within this Game, at least.  
  
Matrix didn’t stop to wonder about Starwell’s absence or Gizmo’s presence on his arm for long. Action was needed now, which was made possible when the Keytool lit up and began to indicate a direction.  
  
“Back to Level 4... Is that even possible?” he asked aloud as he moved toward the door.  
  
Gizmo made it possible. It released a burst of silver energy, forming a gentle aura around the door that brightened into a blinding flash. Moments later, they both found themselves near the exit of Level 4.  
  
Matrix grunted approval. “That works.” He pressed forward until he reached what seemed like the beginning of a maze. Which corridor was he supposed to go down? Which door would lead to Starwell?  
  
Gizmo began to indicate a direction again, homing in on its User. The corner of Matrix’s mouth curved upward in satisfaction now that he knew which way he was going. He found the Keytool annoying at times and Gizmo obviously held some dislike for him, but they had a common goal; finding Starwell.  
  
Hopefully he would be able to find Bob and AndrAIa soon after that. Knowing the stubborn Keytool, it probably wouldn’t allow him to look for anyone else until they found its User first. Matrix had every confidence that they were okay, however. They always were.  
  
Gizmo began to beep more insistently on his arm, as though sensing something it didn’t like. Sensing the urgency Matrix picked up his stride, hurrying through the maze of doorways and corridors.  
  
HORNS attempted to slow them down by locking some doors and completely sealing others, but Gizmo somehow managed to open each one. Matrix wasn’t sure if even Glitch had that kind of power. Gizmo was no doubt a particularly powerful Keytool.  
  
With such power came great responsibility. A small part of Matrix hoped the kid would learn to wield it responsibly, though his mind was mostly focused on the task at hand.  
  
After a while he the door that Gizmo indicated. It didn’t seem to be a normal door somehow… and Gizmo seemed to agree with that observation, especially since it had difficulty getting this one open.  
  
Several in-game seconds passed and Gizmo let out a hiss of frustration. It made several attempts to bypass whatever function was keeping the door shut.  
  
Finally it opened… partially. But only a few centimeters, and then it resisted. HORNS’ willpower was trying to force it shut again while Gizmo tried to make it open. A battle of wills ensued as the metal seemed to creak and grown, but it did not move again.  
  
Matrix freed his hands, putting Gun back on his hip and Gizmo back on his arm. He flexed his digits and then gripped the edge of the door with all his might, grunting as he pulled on it. The sound of scraping metal assaulted his ears as the door was forced open, just enough.  
  
He saw her inside, standing in the middle of the room. “Starwell,” he grated through clenched teeth, “come on!” His fingers slipped a little, but he held on.  
  
“No!” HORNS redoubled its efforts, but between Matrix’s strength and Gizmo’s hacking, the door was stayed. HORNS shut off the lights within the room in an attempt to gain the upper hand, but it did little good.  
  
Starwell dashed out of the room, squeezing through a space barely wide enough for her to get through. Once she was out, Matrix let go of the door.  
  
It snapped shut venomously, as though HORNS chose to used the violent action to express its frustration.  
  
“Fine then, User,” HORNS exclaimed. “Your friends will perish. I am increasing the level of toxin entering their room; they will perish in just a couple of minutes.” Its voice smiled cruelly as it added, “Give or take a few seconds.”  
  
Matrix clenched his teeth. Gizmo left Matrix and returned to Starwell’s arm, releasing a series of urgent beeps. They could still save the others if she quit the Game, now. Otherwise it would be too late.  
  
“Gizmo, Access Main Menu options,” Starwell blurted in a rush.   
  
Just then, HORNS made one final attempt to gain an edge--or perhaps, get revenge. A cyborg appeared seemingly out of nowhere, headed straight toward Starwell.  
  
She ducked and swerved out of the cyborg’s path, allowing Matrix to come up from behind and grab him. The cyborg grunted and struggled.  
  
“Matrix, Gizmo told me that that’s Enzo!” Starwell warned.  
  
Matrix’s grip loosened marginally. “What?” He continued to hold the struggling form tightly. HORNS had gained control of his little brother, too? How did that happen?  
  
“Come on, kid…” Matrix knelt and held onto the kid even as he tried to claw and kick. The bigger sprite used the weight of his body to hold him down, and held the boy’s wrists together in one hand. Then, using his free hand, Matrix reached around and tapped Enzo’s Icon.  
  
Electricity rippled; Enzo returned to normal, and collapsed. He seemed a bit dazed. “Whoa, dude,” he exclaimed as he pushed himself shakily to his feet. “What happened?”  
  
“I was hoping you could tell us,” Matrix commented.  
  
Gizmo beeped urgently, getting Starwell’s attention back on the task at hand. She still needed to quit the Game!  
  
“Right,” Starwell said, focusing on the Keytool once again. “Access main menu functions now.” Once the menu option appeared she snapped, “Quit Game! Quit Game!”  
  
Everything froze. Then:  
  
“GAME OVER. USER ALPHA STARWELL RESIGNS.”  
  
Starwell could swear that she never felt so relieved in her life, especially as the purple Game Cube finally departed and a normal-looking Bob and AndrAIa came toward them, alive and unharmed. AndrAIa was coughing a little, but that seemed to fade quickly.  
  
Little Enzo seemed more dazed than anything. He couldn’t remember what happened, just that he had gone into the Game and something had happened after he ReBooted, apparently.  
  
Matrix seemed alright overall, just very, very fatigued and exhausted. Bob scanned his vitals with Glitch and determined he simply needed some energy and a good rest.  
  
“I’ll take him home,” AndrAIa volunteered. “I’m sure he’ll be back on his feet in no time.”   
  
Bob nodded in agreement. “I’ll take Starwell back to the Principal Office,” he said, and looked at the girl.  
  
“Sounds good to me… thanks,” Starwell commented tiredly.  
  
“Alright, see you later.” With that, AndrAIa called up a VidWindow to summon a cab for herself and Matrix.  
  
Frisket appeared seemingly out of nowhere; Little Enzo ended up taking off with the dog. Bob considered calling after the boy to tell him to wait, but quickly dismissed the idea. Enzo was young and seemed fine. He and Frisket would probably go to the Diner, or perhaps they would just go and play fetch.  
  
Either that or they would go and pester Old Man Pearson, which the Guardian would no doubt hear all about later. At the moment, however, Bob chose to focus on Starwell. Mainframe’s resident User needed someone to watch out for her after all, especially considering the possible ramifications… including keeping her away from Anna Code, just to be safe.  
  
Bob escorted Starwell back to the Principal Office, deciding that was the best place for her at the moment. Especially with Anna Code still at large.   
  
When they got to Starwell's room, she asked Bob to come inside with her; she wanted to speak to him in private. Once they were inside and the door was shut, she sank down onto the edge of her bed and looked up at him.  
  
"Bob..." She sighed and shook her head. "I don't even know what to say or what to think anymore. That was really terrifying, and I don't even know how you people cope with that all the time. I'm just..." She stared at the wall. "I'm so sorry that Users do that stuff to you without even knowing it. I'm... I'm guilty of it too. You know that's why I ran away before."  
  
Bob smiled, "Yeah. I realize that now." He stretched his muscles, raising his arms above his head momentarily. "I have never felt so happy being on two feet."  
  
Starwell smiled. "Yeah, I can imagine... sorta," she said. Somehow Bob always seemed to have that air about him where, if you were around him enough, he knew how to lift your spirits.  
  
She glanced at Gizmo for a moment, for no particular reason; she was simply thinking. Then she glanced up at Bob again.  
  
"You know, uh... you said once before that there were questions you've always wanted to ask the User." Starwell cocked her head to one side. "I'm not Mainframe's User, but... I guess I was just curious what you might ask him or her, if you could." She coughed sheepishly. She wasn't sure why she was asking. Maybe she was just curious.  
  
"Oh..." Bob's brow furrowed, "Well, lets head to the park first. I'd like to stretch out my legs."  
  
"Sounds good to me," Starwell shrugged. Perhaps that would mean less chance of interruption if they went there anyway.  
  
She lead the way out of the room, walking beside him down the hall. She still wasn't sure why she even brought this up; maybe in a way, she figured she owed it to him. Despite everything she (and other Users) had done, he was still friendly toward her.  
  
"Are we gonna take your car, or are you planning to use those stupid Zip Boards?" she asked aloud.  
  
"Let's just... walk." Bob, while he did like his car (No matter how many times it broke down), and liked the quickness of the zip board, was following old advice. This was something he needed to take slow, something to work up to. He needed time to think.  
  
"Okay then," Starwell said softly.  
  
And so they walked in silence. It wasn't long before they left the Principal and began to walk away from it. Starwell continued to walk beside Bob, but slightly behind in order to let him take the lead. She wasn't entirely sure where the park was, after all.  
  
Soon enough they reached an area that seemed rather... green. Apparently some areas such as this were programmed to look like it was covered in grass. There were pathways along which a few binomes and Number programs jogged or walked.   
  
As Starwell continued to walk with Bob, she noticed a family of binomes having a picnic nearby; they barely glanced up as the Guardian and the User-sprite passed. Off in the distance, a group of young binomes appeared to be tossing a ball around.  
  
"This is just like home," Starwell commented out loud, wistfully. She realized just how homesick she really felt.  
  
Bob found an empty bench, and gestured for Starwell to sit. Once she was seated he sank down beside her without even glancing in her direction. He leaned on his knees, looking at the ground.  
  
For the first time since Starwell's appearance, he let the User-In-The-Net sink in. So many things to ask, so many things to know, he had to breath deeply just to keep himself from over flowing on just how ridiculous-how amazing-this all was.  
  
Her sentence started his first question. "What's it like... outside the Net, and the Web?"  
  
She was silent for several nanos. How in the world were you supposed to explain the place where you were born to someone who'd never seen it? How were you supposed to talk about things you took for granted every day, things you never thought you'd have to explain to anyone else?  
  
"Well..." Starwell leaned back and folded her hands in her lap. "I guess it's sort of like being in a system, but very different at the same time."  
  
She pursed her lips in thought, trying to figure out how to clarify that. She then decided the best thing to do would be to focus on something specific... like where she lived. "My parents, brother and I live in a house in a place called New Hampshire. But they had to go to a place called Washington on a business trip, so they left Greg--that's my brother--and I with Uncle Frank and Aunt Marge."  
  
She paused, trying to get back on track. "New Hampshire is nice enough. It's... a cross-between of city and country, at least where I live. My school is there, and so are most of my friends."  
  
"Strange system. What's a country? I think I've heard that term in a game before."  
  
"Um... there's two ways that word is used, actually," Starwell answered. "In New Hampshire, 'country' refers to an area that is... mildly rustic, I guess. Lots of trees, and usually more wild animals in the area or whatever."  
  
She paused, letting that sink in, then continued. "But there are also several countries across our world, where different kinds of people live. I live in a country called America, which is made up of Fifty States--call them smaller territories within America. New Hampshire is one of the States."  
  
"I know the Net is huge. Is that why?"  
  
Starwell let out a breath. "Yeah, our world is huge," she replied. "And there are a lot of Systems out there... usually there's one system per User. And considering there are several billion Users across my world..."  
  
She trailed off, shaking her head. "I don't even know how many systems there are out there."  
  
Bob drew in another breath. Here comes the big question... "Why are we here?"  
  
Starwell was silent for a longer pause than before. "You really wanna know?" She ran a hand through her hair. In truth, she was just stalling for a little time until she could think of how to explain it.  
  
"I guess. Do I want to know?"  
  
Starwell found herself hesitating again. She frowned as another thought came to her. She stood up rather abruptly. For a long moment she simply stared off into the distance, then she turned and looked down at Bob's seated form.  
  
"Well..." She decided she would leave it up to him if he really wanted to know or not. But he did deserve an explanation as to why she was hesitant. "Where I come from... everybody asks the same thing you just did. Why are we here? Where did we come from? What's our purpose? And..."  
  
She slowly sank down onto the bench beside him again, letting out a sigh. "Sometimes it gets messy. Like, really messy. I don't even know what I believe, but people have gotten into nasty arguments and even gone to war over... well, things like this."  
  
She stopped talking. She wasn't prepared to go into a full-scale explanation of what atrocities had been committed in the name of religion, or even just differing ideals. That would take a long time to explain in-depth anyway, and she was no history instructor.  
  
"Look," she finally said, "all I'm trying to say is... I'm worried that anything I say might end up changing the way you people look at yourselves or your daily lives. What if it changes the way you guys... function? What if it causes conflict, because of what one User-girl told you?"  
  
Bob let out his breath. He smiled, "Lets move on then. Do Users have formats?"  
  
In a way, Starwell wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed at how easily he moved onto the next subject. If she'd had the opportunity to meet Jesus face to face in the flesh, would she have dropped it so easily? Maybe you're a lot wiser than some people in my world, she thought.  
  
“Sort of, I guess," she replied with a nod. "We have different professions. For the most part though, at least in my country, everybody chooses what they want to do with their lives. Some people become doctors, some people are actors or singers, some people work on... systems, and create programs."  
  
She coughed. "I guess it just depends on what we're good at and what we want to do with ourselves. I'm... not even sure yet what I want to do with my life."  
  
Bob raised an eyebrow. "You don't download anything...? You don't have programming?"  
  
"Uh... no," Starwell said, as if finding the question a little odd. "We're uh... born without any knowledge whatsoever, and we just have to learn stuff. Older people like our parents or school teachers teach us things, and some stuff we learn or figure out through trial and error."  
  
"So, you download things as you go along. Huh, that's not too different from here. What kind of Users are there?"  
  
"Too many to name, probably," Starwell said, rolling her eyes and giving a light chuckle. "All I can say is... everybody's different."  
  
"Are there different energy level Users? Like binomes and sprites?"  
  
Starwell pressed her lips into a thin line as she thought about it. "I don't know if I can really answer that, because I don't really understand how sprites and binomes are different or... whatever." She inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. "For the most part, all Users are the same, at least I think so. But... depending on where they're born, they will have different skin colors and speak different languages.  
  
"Oh and," she added, "well... we have different levels of intelligence, I guess. Some are really, really smart, like my Uncle Frank. He invented the hardware that made it possible for me to be here, after all." She coughed. "Others... are more average, like me I guess. And some are born with... disabilities, so either they're not as smart or they just process things differently and they lack social skills."  
  
"Hmm..." Bob gave a deep breath. "Why the games?"  
  
Oh brother. "Yeah, games," Starwell muttered, mostly to herself. "Well, Users make games for... fun. And some even take them very, very seriously, like my brother does." She coughed.   
  
"You never realized... What they do?"  
  
Starwell swallowed, hard. "N-no." Guilt welled up inside of her again. "Do you think so many of us would keep doing it if we knew?" she snapped, more harshly than she intended.   
  
Bob shook his head, and gave a tired smile. "No, no I don't think so. What about viruses? Did you know that they were programmed to destroy and delete and corrupt?"  
  
Starwell looked thoughtful. "Let's just say some Users aren't very nice, or they just feel like being malicious for whatever reason they have. So... yeah, some people make viruses to be the way they are on purpose. I don't know, I think some Users think its funny or something. Kind of like a sick prank, maybe. I'm not sure why they do it."  
  
Bob's eyes furrowed, "Why? Why would anyone find that funny?"  
  
"Maybe for the same reason we're mean to each other sometimes, I don't know," Starwell said with a shrug. "I mean...."  
  
She sighed heavily. "I really don't know how to explain it. Sometimes, some people are just... mean. You hear about crazy people who kill others or vandalize other people's property, just because they're crazy or just because they feel like being mean."  
  
She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "When I was a little younger, I had someone picking on me in school. I never did anything to her, but she would always call me names, and... she always knew what to say to make me feel bad." She gave Bob a thoughtful, wistful look. "I don't know. I think some people act out because they don't know how to deal with their own problems. Others just do it because they can. It's... a crazy world out there."  
  
"Hmm." Bob looked to the side, watching binomes go about doing activities in the park. "What about deletion?"  
  
"Uh... what do you mean?" Starwell asked, puzzled.  
  
"You know, when someone gets deleted...? Do you have something like that?"  
  
"Oh," Starwell said, comprehending. "Well... yeah, we die. Sometimes we get sick from illnesses that we don't recover from, or sometimes we get injured to the point where we can't heal. Sometimes, people just die from old age."  
  
"Die?"  
  
"Well..." Starwell shifted a bit in her seat. "I don't know how to explain it, but... Users don't get nullified and we don't get deleted or erased." She was silent for a moment, blinking, trying to figure out how to explain it better. "You see, uh... outside the Net, we exist in a very different form than this. I don't know if you'd understand, but we have carbon-based bodies."  
  
Gizmo beeped. The Keytool had been oddly silent during the entire conversation, but now it chimed it.  
  
Starwell chuckled softly. "Glad you know what I'm talking about," she told it, then turned her attention back to Bob. "You see, uh... we don't have bitmaps or energy out there. We don't have Icons or anything like that. Our bodies are... just different. And those bodies can get damaged or grow ill, or just plain grow old. Then... uh... whatever it is that makes us, well, us, just dies."  
  
She took another breath, then continued. "Some people say we have souls that go on to some kind of afterlife, others think that once the brain stops functioning and the heart stops beating, we simply cease to exist. But... when somebody dies, the body just stops functioning, and it's like an empty shell I guess."  
  
She eyed him carefully, wondering if he was understanding any of this or if the concepts were flying right over his head.  
  
For a moment, Bob was confused. His brow furrowed as it sunk in. He knew something of this basic concept due to the games, which were apparently more of a glimpse into the way things worked outside the Net than he could have imagined. He understood this thing called “death”, because in some games corpses remained behind instead of vanishing in normal deletion.  
  
Once this finished sinking in as reality, a fact… he looked horrified.  
  
"What's wrong?" Starwell asked, concerned at his expression. "Are you okay?" Had she told him too much?  
  
"...I'm fine..." Bob gave a deep breath, "Its nothing. What about fragmentation?" His voice had squeaked so slightly.  
  
"Uh...." Starwell hesitated as she thought about that. "That doesn't happen," she finally said. "Users aren't like sprites out there. I guess the closest thing might be if one of us got blown apart by a bomb or something..." She grimaced at the thought. Perhaps that was proof she had seen too many violent movies and played too many games.  
  
Who was she kidding? She had been inside games, for real.   
  
"But,” she continued quickly, “the way our bodies work... if you die, you're dead. It's impossible to fix a body if it gets too badly damaged." She swallowed. “Sometimes it’s possible to live with certain kinds of damage though… might just leave you crippled.”  
  
"...You're home sounds worse than the Web.” Bob’s blue features actually paled a bit. “How do you survive?"  
  
"Uh... just lucky I guess?" Starwell shrugged, unsure what else to say to that. “Well,” she quickly added, clearing her throat, “I mean… well, if you watch the news on TV you’d think the world is pretty horrible. But acts of major violence are actually kinda… rare. Otherwise I’m sure my parents would never let me out the front door,” she chuckled. The light laughter sounded forced, even to her.  
  
"Okay.” Bob inhaled a slow, steady breath to gather himself. He then moved onto the next question: “What's a soul?"

  
  
Starwell stared at him blankly for several nanos. Then she blinked.  
  
Gizmo beeped, attempting to be helpful.  
  
Starwell simply shook her head and stood. "Can we walk around the park a little? I think I need to stretch my legs now..."  
  
Bob got up, "Alright."


	44. Chapter 44

Starwell began walking at a brisk pace. Perhaps she just needed a moment to process everything she'd been talking about herself. Perhaps it even helped Bob a bit as well; he seemed honestly startled by some of the things she'd mentioned.  
  
After a while she began to slow her pace, and finally she stopped in the middle of the dirt path. A couple of jogging binomes passed them, casting glances at the User and the Guardian as they passed.  
  
Once they were out of earshot, Starwell turned to face Bob. "You really don't know what a soul is?" she asked, sounding amazed.  
  
"Is it like a code or something?"  
  
Starwell opened her mouth and then closed it. "Uh..." She groaned a little. "I don't even know how to explain this. Everybody in my own knows what a soul is! It's..."  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, and then she tried to think of how she might explain this to a child. Then she tried again. "It's... something in here." She placed a hand on her chest. "It's what makes us who and what we are. It's... the living essence that fills our body, our mortal shell, in our world. It's... everything that makes us alive."  
  
"But doesn't the brain do that?" Bob tapped on his temple, "I’m not sure I'm understanding."  
  
"It... does, yes," she said with a nod. "That's the physical part of our being. I don't know, maybe in some ways... our organic bodies is like a machine and the soul is like... the software that runs it, maybe?" She made a face. That sounded like a stupid, pathetic way to explain it. But how else could you explain it to a program who had no concept of such things?  
  
“That makes sense. I think. What is carbon?"  
  
"Carbon, uh...." Oh good grief. Gizmo beeped. "Yeah, I'm not sure how to explain that," she muttered in reply. "How would you explain it?" Gizmo gave another series of beeps.  
  
Starwell ran the information through her mind, then recited it to Bob. "Well, like Gizmo says, it just means that the molecules in our body contain carbon as their main structural component." She tilted her head to one side. "We're... organic. It's very different from being made out of energy."  
  
She looked thoughtful. "Gizmo also pointed out that in my natural form outside the Net, energy can be... deadly. If I tried taking a bath in raw energy like we all do here, it would probably kill me."  
  
"If that's the case, wouldn't carbon be bad for everyone in the Net?"  
  
Starwell glanced at Gizmo. It beeped, and she raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Water is the thing that's horrible for systems," she finally told Bob, still eyeing Gizmo. "Our bodies are made up of... somewhere between fifty to seventy-five percent water--thanks, Gizmo. Water is a vital thing in a User's body, but it does not mix well with energy. If a User accidentally spills water into a running system, it could short-circuit the entire thing."  
  
She looked thoughtful. "That's why I was always taught to keep drinks away from systems... and other electronics," she commented with a light chuckle.  
  
"That's terrifying,” Bob said, once again a little horrified. “At least it makes sense how some systems are wiped out completely. Speaking of that,” he tilted his head to one side, “what is the Web to you?"  
  
"I don't know what the Web is," Starwell said with a shrug. Her forehead creased as she thought more about it though. Hadn’t Matrix mentioned something about the Web? Was that why it sounded familiar somehow?  
  
Gizmo gave another series of beeps and clicks. Starwell blinked several times. "What do you mean?" she asked. Gizmo beeped a few more times. "Okay... I think I get it now," she said, her eyelids flickering in response to the new information. "In my world, I guess the Web is... information. It's where we use Systems to visit Websites and we can talk to each other, or look up information, or do... other things."  
  
She cocked her head to one side. "What's the Web like to you?" she asked.  
  
Bob's mouth set into a thin line, and his brows furrowed, "Its a hostile place that will degrade a sprite or binome or anybody into Web-like creatures. The longer you are in it, the more Web-creature you become, until that's what is left. Or you lose your code and get erased. The Web has consumed entire systems, and the threat it is to the Net is to the point of paranoia."  
  
"Uh... wow," Starwell breathed. "I had no idea. I just..." She trailed off for a moment, and Gizmo released another series of clicks and beeps. "Yeah... I guess I always thought of the Web and the Net as being the same. That's how many of us think of it where I come from."  
  
"I spent... A lot of time in the Web." Bob looked out at the park, but he wasn't seeing it. His focus was in another time, and another place.  
  
"I'm sorry," was all Starwell could think to say. She really couldn't think of much else to say.  
  
Bob shook his head and smiled, "Not your fault. I don't blame you for my troubles."  
  
"I guess... I'm just a bit stunned by everything. Who am I kidding? I've been stunned ever since I first got here," Starwell said. "I mean... until I came into the Net, I didn't know there were people here. To Users, well... Systems are just machines that sit in a room in our homes. We do whatever we feel like doing, and if the System breaks down... it's an inconvenience, but we just replace it. No big deal."  
  
She shook her head and moved a short distance away, off of the path and toward a pixilated bush. She gently reached out and touched it, feeling its texture. "I don't know, maybe Uncle Frank or whoever he's working for suspected something different, I really don't know. I just know that if I told my friends back home about all this, they'd laugh at me and think I was making it up."   
  
Bob whistled, "So we're really that small, huh?"  
  
Starwell didn't answer. She didn't want to answer; that statement made her feel guilty again, and a little sad. She simply kept fingering the bush, though it became a subconscious gesture; she was staring off at a family of binomes walking across the park. It seemed that one of the families having a picnic had packed up everything and were heading home.  
  
"You wanna sit down again?"  
  
"I guess." Starwell didn't move from that spot; she simply sat down on the grass, crossing her legs in front of her. She didn't care if Bob chose to sit or stand himself.  
  
She ran her fingers across the grass, feeling its texture the same way she had the bush. "It's so different," she muttered. "I mean, being able to feel... graphics and textures. It's not the same as home."  
  
She couldn't even describe it into words. Her sprite-form lacked the same senses she had in her own world, probably because everything was different here. Everything was pixels, generated by graphics and created from and fueled by energy.   
  
"How is it not the same?" Bob sat down in the grass near her.  
  
Starwell ran her fingers across it yet again without looking at it. Her forehead creased as she tried to find the words to explain.  
  
"Well... what do you feel when you touch it right now?" she asked. Perhaps if he, as a native Net-inhabitant, put into words how he perceived the textures and sense of touch within his own realm, she could somehow better explain her own.  
  
"... Feels like grass," Bob rubbed his hand into the green, "Why? Is there something different where you are from?"  
  
That was when it came to her. Exactly how she could explain. "Yeah we have grass, which... I think maybe this is made to emulate," she said thoughtfully. "It feels real," she went on carefully. "But it seems... fake. No," she corrected herself, "that's not the right word. It just feels... emulated. Kind of like I'm touching a picture that's trying to fool my senses. It wants to be real, but it's not real... or at least, it's nowhere near the same as the grass in my world."  
  
She looked at Bob curiously. "Just wondering... what do you think about me?" She tentatively held out her hand to him. "Do I feel strange to you, at all? What does your sense of touch tell you?" She wanted to know if she felt like an average sprite to him, or if he felt anything... more, or different.  
  
Bob raised an eyebrow. He reached out, and slid his fingers over Starwell's forehead. Resistance, yes. The feel of a bitmap, yes. The curve of a skull, the beginnings of sweat, yes. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be understanding," said Bob, "What would you feel about me?"  
  
Starwell was starting to feel a little awkward. "Never mind," she said, shaking her head. "Forget I said anything."   
  
Perhaps part of her had been wondering if Bob touching her would be like... well, what? Touching the face of God or something? That was the way this conversation seemed to be going in a way. "I guess I was just wondering if I just felt like a sprite, or if I felt like a mammal," she said with a little shrug. "Maybe I really am a sprite here."  
  
"Mammal?"  
  
Starwell sighed. "Never mind," she said again. Gizmo started to beep an explanation, but she held up a finger to silence the Keytool. She really, really didn't feel like getting into that right now. "The point is," she clarified, "I was just wondering if your senses perceived as anything more than an average sprite, or anything different from a sprite. But... since I've been converted into a sprite, maybe I am one."  
  
Gizmo beeped, and she looked thoughtful. "Could be," she acknowledged. "Gizmo thinks maybe... your Net-senses can't perceive anything you're not formatted to sense or understand."  
  
"Maybe. I don't think Glitch understands Gizmo, on that respect."  
  
Starwell raised her eyebrows, looking curious. "What does Glitch think of Gizmo?" she asked, smiling a little in spite of herself.  
  
Gizmo beeped a couple of times. The Keytool equivalent of, This should be good!  
  
Glitch chose to speak for itself. [Emotional, irrational, illogical, a fool's tool.]  
  
"...I couldn't say how Glitch feels,” was all Bob said.  
  
Gizmo released a series of indignant squawks and chirps. [Arrogant, self-righteous....]  
  
Starwell's eyes flew wide. "Well Gizmo seems a bit... upset," she blinked. "I'm not going to repeat what he just said."  
  
[Insults are unnecessary, I was stating the facts.]  
  
"Oh boy..."  
  
"What?" Starwell asked. "What's he s--"  
  
Gizmo was already starting to chirp again. [I come from the User world. Your Guardian would appreciate that, so it would seem.] Gizmo stated this as if Glitch should be intrigued, perhaps even impressed.  
  
[I would say fascinating, but I reserve that for things that surprise me. I will say that you are interesting.]  
  
"I'm not even sure that our Keytools should even be having a conversation anymore,” Bob shook his head.  
  
[Interesting?] Gizmo squawked. [What about Starwell? She is a User, something you have never encountered before. She is something remarkable, is she not?] Gizmo practically seemed to be daring Glitch to disagree.  
  
"Gizmo I think you should be quiet now," Starwell muttered, shifting uncomfortable. She cast Bob an apologetic glance.  
  
[She has the attitude of a young sprite. She remarkable because she is from a different existence, not because she is very remarkable in anything else.]  
  
"Glitch..."  
  
That did it. Gizmo didn't take kindly to what it perceived as an insult to Starwell. [Of all the self-righteous things to say! You would not be speaking of her in this manner if she had been personally responsible for creating you or your Guardian, would you?]  
  
"Gizmo, put a lid on it," Starwell warned, but the Keytool ignored her.  
  
[Starwell is irrelevant to you because she seems unremarkable? Her Uncle created the device responsible for her being present in the Net.] Once again, Gizmo sounded as though Glitch should find this impressive, perhaps even awesome.  
  
[I did not state irrelevant. I stated unremarkable.]  
  
Gizmo whirred. [Alright, correction noted. But surely you must acknowledge that a User in the Net is remarkable.]  
  
[It is interesting.]  
  
Gizmo was speechless for a full nano. [That is all you have to say? If a User entering the Net is simply 'interesting' to you, what would you say is fascinating? Or even exciting?]  
  
"I really wish I could understand what Glitch is saying," Starwell commented, glancing between the two Keytools with a weird expression.  
  
"I think its better off in beeps."  
  
[Yes. Interesting. An anomaly that should have never happened.]  
  
[Should never have happened?] Gizmo retorted. [Explain what you mean,] it demanded.  
  
"Why's that?" Starwell asked Bob, casting a wary glance at Gizmo.  
  
"Because there are some things you don't want to know."  
  
[A User in the Net. Impossible. It would create dissonance. It’s Random.]  
  
"Come on, I've answered your questions about the User world, haven't I?" Starwell pleaded. "Just give me a hint. Please?"  
  
[Starwell has brought no harm to Net. Well,] Gizmo quickly corrected itself (because no doubt Glitch would if it did not), [she did nullify a sector, but that was completely unintentional. I was there, so trust me on that. But besides that, tell me one thing she has done to harm Mainframe.]  
  
[She will be harmful to the Net.]  
  
"How about... Umm, No?"  
  
[Explain. How will she bring harm to Net? Give me an example!] Gizmo demanded.  
  
"...I think I am getting the gist of it from Gizmo anyway," Starwell grimaced. "So never mind."  
  
[She would create rift in the Net. It would cause destruction from the inside out.]  
  
[Simply because she is a User? But she wishes no harm upon the Net. She cares for the Mainframers.]  
  
[Yes. She may create system anomalies, perhaps to the point of crashing Mainframe.]  
  
[Why don't you ask your Guardian and see if he agrees? He does not seem to feel threatened by her.]  
  
Starwell was becoming more and more bothered by the conversation, even if she could only hear one side of it. She cast a glance toward Glitch, and she could only imagine what the Keytool was saying about her. She turned her face away from Bob, trying to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.   
  
[I and my Guardian have a mutual understanding.]  
  
[Then why is he more curious than you are about her? He does not seem to feel she will destroy the Net.]  
  
"Okay will both of you shut up?" Starwell finally snapped, swiping at her eyes impatiently. "If all of you still think I'm a threat or something, just say so."  
  
Gizmo beeped, this time addressing Starwell. It apologized. "Just forget it." She turned and began to walk away in a huff, sniffling and trying to regain her composure.  
  
Bob scratched his head, "Well, that was awkward."  
  
Starwell didn't go far; she simply walked up to a nearby tree and leaned against it. For a moment she let some of the tears fall, then she bit her lower lip and fought to regain her composure.  
  
Gizmo beeped another apology. "It's okay, I guess," she muttered, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Just don't say anything to Glitch anymore, I don't want to hear it." Gizmo beeped in tentative agreement.  
  
Starwell glanced in Bob's direction, then looked at the tree. She fingered it thoughtfully, and sniffed the air. Usually trees had an aroma about them, at least some of them did.  
  
This one did have a scent, but the way only way she could describe it was... well, it smelled like a program. That was the only way to describe it. She would be ashamed if she ever admitted aloud that this park seemed… beneath her, because she didn’t consider herself above anything here. It simply seemed as though the textures were designed for a simpler sense of touch, and the scents and aromas were intended for a more limited sense of smell.  
  
It was as if this environment was trying its best to present itself to her as a real place but fell short, at least compared to her own world. Obviously her perception and her senses had been altered to function in the Net, allowing her to see, hear, smell and touch things she could not in her human form.  
  
Yet everything here was like a poor imitation of her own world.  
  
"This place is so real yet not real," Starwell finally concluded, mostly to herself.  
  
Bob had already gotten up from his spot on the grass. He walked over to her, eyeing her with concern. "You feeling alright?"  
  
"Yeah," she replied a bit too quickly. "I'm just... still trying to process everything I guess." She gave him a half-hearted smile, trying to reassure him.  
  
[Glitch, I think you should give Starwell an apology.]  
  
Starwell sighed. "Gizmo..."  
  
[I was not the one over-reacting.]  
  
"Glitch, stop."  
  
Starwell sighed. "You know something?" She plucked Gizmo off of her wrist and handed the Keytool to Bob so quickly the Guardian didn't even have a chance to blink. "You two want to talk? Go ahead and hash it out. Bob, I'm going back to the Principal Office. Get Gizmo back to me when they're done, please."  
  
With that, Starwell turned and walked away.  
  
[You see what you did? You have offended her again,] Gizmo clicked at Glitch.  
  
This seemed familiar. "Starwell! Wait!" Bob called.  
  
Starwell paused, glancing over her shoulder. "What?"  
  
"Look, I'm sorry about this, I didn't think it was going to- I wasn't thinking-" Now he sounded like he was back on his first date with Dot, and how horribly awkward it had been.  
  
"Look," Starwell sighed, "it's okay. You don't have to say anything. It was my idea to come out here and I was the one who asked Glitch what he thought of me."   
  
She eyed Gizmo, who rested easy in Bob's hand. "You done arguing yet?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip. Gizmo gave a tentative beep. "Then come here," Starwell replied, holding out her arm. Gizmo didn't have to be told twice; it returned to her arm. "Just be quiet," she warned it.  
  
Bob was scratching his head again, "Sorry about this."  
  
"It's okay. Just tell me one thing, honestly," she requested, staring straight into his eyes.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Do you, and Glitch, think I am a threat?" Starwell asked carefully. She placed a firm hand over Gizmo, warning it to stay silent. Thankfully, the Keytool didn't even utter a peep this time.  
  
"If you're going to go by that logic," said Bob, "I may as well be a threat. A Guardian is just as much as a destroyer as a protector."  
  
"Really? How so?" Starwell blinked, more intrigued than anything else. Bob had been nothing but friendly toward her since he first met her.   
  
"Guardians have destroyed entire systems."  
  
Bob's face lost his happy-go-lucky again, into something serious, but not far away as the first time.  
  
Starwell drew in a sharp intake of breath through her nose, her eyes widening. "Why would they do that?" she asked, astonished and horrified. "I mean, people live in Systems and at least Guardians know it! At least Users don't know about you people, so we have a good excuse I guess... but why would Guardians do that?!"  
  
"When they feel the Net is threatened," Bob sighed, he was sure that he may or may not be allowed to say anything, but oh well, "Or something like that."  
  
"I don't get it... what kind of things could happen to a system to make the Guardians think it's a big threat?"  
  
Gizmo chimed in just then, apparently remembering something from earlier. It released a series of beeps, and Starwell blinked. "Web creatures? Oh yeah... Bob, was that what you meant when you said the Web makes people..." She swallowed. "Paranoid?"  
  
"The Web can consume systems, yeah. Web creatures can enter a system and make it a feeding ground. I know, Mainframe has had Web Creatures before."  
  
"Oh my gosh..." Starwell breathed. She opened her mouth, ready to ask what happened or how they took care of the problem, but she suddenly wasn't sure if she wanted to know. In fact, she nearly forgot her un-asked question as another thought came to her. A thought that nearly made her go pale.  
  
"Oh God, what if...." Her voice caught in her throat. She cleared it and licked her lips nervously. She had obviously thought of something that frightened her, at least a bit.  
  
"What?"  
  
She gulped. "Anna Code thinks I'm dangerous or something. What if other Guardians hear about me and start to think that, too?"  
  
"Starwell, you know that we're not going to let anything happen to you, right?"  
  
"But... why? How come you guys keep protecting me? Just... answer me that," Starwell requested. In her heart she knew the answer. It was because they were friends, and it seemed she had somehow become part of the Mainframe "family".  
  
But she wanted to hear him give her a solid answer from his own mouth. Maybe that was the only way it would finally sink in, the only way she could truly accept it.  
  
Neither of them noticed that someone was flying overheard right at that moment, someone on a zip board. That someone hesitated overhead as she glanced down in their direction. She narrowed her eyes, observing them in silence for a long moment as they talked.  
  
"Because its the right thing to do," said Bob, "And besides, we're Mainframers, we stick up for our own."  
  
A smile spread across Starwell's face, appreciating the acceptance and sentiment. "I really wish more people in my world were like you," she told him.  
  
Somehow, reality itself seemed to distort for a moment. The feeling passed like a wave of temporary nausea, leaving Starwell to brush it off. She was probably just getting tired and hungry.  
  
Bob blinked and twitched a bit, causing her to wonder if he felt it too. If both of them felt the same thing it was an odd coincidence, though he seemed to shake it off with a headshake. His form seemed to momentarily shudder, though.  
  
Gizmo suddenly chirped. Starwell's eyes widened--then she looked straight up.  
  
There hovered Anna Code on a zip board, her arms folded. Her icy gaze glowered upon them both like a hawk awaiting the opportunity to dive for its prey.  
The female Guardian narrowed her eyes when she realized she had been spotted, but she made no aggressive move, nor did she leave. She simply flew down to the ground nearby and stepped off of the Zip Board.


	45. Chapter 45

“How touching," she growled, placing her hands on her hips. She glared at Bob. "So you've adopted this stray User into your system?" She made a sound of disgust. "You may as well have condemned your system, Guardian.”  
  
Gizmo hissed. Starwell swallowed and moved closer to Bob, standing slightly behind him.  
  
"What do you want?" Bob asked.  
  
"I just want to tell you that soon, very soon, your precious User might be... removed," Anna stated firmly. The way she said that and the look on her face suggested she had an Ace up her sleeve.  
  
Gizmo hissed again, and then addressed Cappaten. [I suppose you think Starwell is a threat to the Net, too?]  
  
Cappaten whirred. [Anyone, anything, is a potential threat,] it opined.  
  
[So are Guardians.] Stated Glitch.  
  
"And what do you mean by that?" Bob asked Anna.  
  
"I took the liberty of sending out a message to the Supercomputer just a few microseconds ago," Anna told him, almost smugly. "Turbo himself now has copies of the ReadMe Files and system logs pertaining to who and what Starwell is, and the fact that she is a User."  
  
Anna smirked. "You think Turbo and the rest of the Guardians are going to let your pet User stay here, once they hear all about her?"  
  
Bob cursed in Web-Speak.  
  
[Guardians are a force to be reckoned with,] Cappaten allowed, continuing the conversation with the other Keytools.   
  
[Your Guardian is constantly threatening my User,] Gizmo chirped in aggravation. [What do you have to say about that?]  
  
[...My Guardian has been behaving erratically as of late. I detect conflict in her Code.] Cappaten said. Anna raised an eyebrow at that remark, but otherwise didn't acknowledge the conversing Keytool.  
  
[You and your Guardian are threatening the System of Mainframe,] stated Glitch.  
  
"W-what does this mean?" Starwell stammered with widened eyes. She looked up at Bob. "What's gonna happen?"  
  
"It means that the Guardians will finally take the appropriate action, User," Anna stated.   
  
[My Guardian is doing what she feels is appropriate action to current circumstances,] Cappaten replied.   
  
[My User has not intentionally harmed this system or any other!] Gizmo once again defended Starwell.   
  
[You will condemn this system with your antics.] Glitch said.  
  
Bob was yelling something, but either it was something he didn't want to be understood or something he didn't realize, but it was all in the beeps of Web Speak. He felt that piece of degradation, that small bit of the Web that never left him, twist and turn.  
  
Anna's brow furrowed as she stared at Bob with a look of concern and surprise, more in reaction to the odd sounds coming from his mouth than anything else.   
  
At least the smugness was gone from her features. "I don't know what you're saying, but I know I've done the right thing," the female Guardian stated. "For the good of this system and many others!"  
  
Cappaten remained silent. It was a thoughtful silence.  
  
[Glitch, do you know something?] Gizmo demanded.  
  
[Such ambitions have led many to ruin.] Glitch replied.  
  
[Do you actually care about this system, Glitch?] Gizmo asked.  
  
Glitch remained silent.

"Good for the system? Or good for you?" Bob was back to speaking Net Standard. His voice was firm.  
  
"You're so idealistic, Bob," Anna glared. "Just like my Command Dot Com back home. Maybe a virus did save all of us from Daemon, but we're discussing Users now. I'm hoping that Turbo will take the correct course of action."  
  
"I hope so too," Bob was very clear that he was not on Anna's side.  
  
"We will see." With that, Anna turned away and stamped back over to her zip board.  
  
[Do you think Starwell should be imprisoned or removed, Cappaten?] Gizmo beeped.  
  
Cappaten replied as Anna stepped onto her zip board. [I must reserve judgment for now.]  
  
"...We need to get to the Principal Office," Bob said quietly.  
  
"Bob, what is going to happen?" Starwell demanded. She didn't know much about Guardians, but she did know that Anna had deep personal reasons for wanting the User removed... or worse. She eyed Anna warily as the female Guardian cast one final look in their direction, and then she flew away.  
  
"I just get the feeling there's gonna be trouble," Starwell added quickly.  
  
"Don't know, and I don't want to find out, let's go."  
  
Starwell simply nodded, feeling a bit numb inside. This, like many other incidents that happened ever since she entered the Net, was another circumstance outside of her league. If she had been back in her own world, she could have gone to her parents or her Uncle to help out. Here... she might as well have been on another planet in the middle of another universe. They were different people who had different ways of handling things, and not all of them agreed, it seemed.  
  
Starwell and Bob walked across the park in silence, mostly. Eventually the Principal Office came into view. As they stepped onto the bridge that lead to the Principal Office, Starwell began to run toward it, dashing ahead of Bob.  
  
"Starwell!" Bob began to run after her.  
  
Starwell kept going; she ran the full length of the bridge until she reached the doors. Then, panting for breath, she went inside. She slowed to a walk, breathing deeply in and out as she moved forward at a much slower pace. The run had felt good; it helped her burn off some nervous energy and aggravation, at least.  
  
However... the fear of what would happen next remained. Just as Bob reached Starwell, a distorted voice echoed in his ears. "What you are experiencing is a temporal distortion of reality." Bob knelt, holding his head. It was pounding. He looked down, and looked at one of his hands. It now had a very familiar sponge-like quality. Oh, this is not good.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell's eyes widened as she gradually caught her breath. She leaned heavily against the wall, clutching her chest. "W-what's happening?" she breathed.  
  
"Keep calm, Its going to be fine!" Bob's voice sounded wrong. It wasn't his, or rather, it was his after his exposure to the Web. His bitmap was mildly deteriorated with dark scars dotted along his face and neck. His hair was somewhat longer and its silver shine had been replaced with a darker, dingy gray that was almost black.   
  
He looked like he had just stepped out a portal from said Web. Of all the times...  
  
"Bob... what happened to you?" Starwell blinked, staring at him. "Why do you look so strange?"  
  
"Sorry, about this." Bob stood, "This.... This was me, while I was in the Web. This is what happens when a sprite is exposed."  
  
Starwell gulped, staring at him in mild horror. "You weren't kidding," she whispered. "The Web is bad for you guys..."  
  
"Yeah, it is."  
  
For a moment, Mainframe seemed to flash. The city changed into something desolate and ruined, with the sky now dark purple. It reverted in mere nanos. That same feeling of reality distorting passed over both of them again, briefly.  
  
Starwell's eyes flew wide. "What...?" She turned and looked out through the doors. Then she ran through the doors toward the bridge--  
  
And screamed, swinging her arms around for balance as she nearly fell off of the edge of where the bridge had once been. Apparently it had crumbled away and fallen. "W-what happened?" she gasped, barely able to find her voice.  
  
"Megaframe..." Bob grasped Starwell's hand.  
  
"Mega-w-what?!" Starwell stared at him, clutching his hand tightly as if it were a life-force.  
  
"Megaframe, an infected Mainframe."  
  
"Infected? You mean... like... by a virus or something?" Starwell gulped.  
  
"Megabyte."  
  
Starwell stared out at the ruined and degraded system, horrified yet unable to tear her eyes away. "Megabyte did all of this?" she breathed. "Oh my God... why?"  
  
"Control. He was always about it." Bob looked around, "We need to leave, we can't be this close to the Principal Office."  
  
"Why not?" Starwell asked, hesitating. The Principal Office always seemed like the safest place around.  
  
"If its Megaframe, then Megabyte is the Command Dot Com, we need to go."  
  
"But the bridge is gone!" Starwell exclaimed. "How are we supposed to get out of here?"  
  
"Glitch, pole." The Keytool extended into a long pole.  
  
Starwell flinched, startled as she looked up to see a ABC car flying overhead. It appeared to be on patrol; its searchlights extended, and then shone in their direction.  
  
"Stop in the name of Lord Megabyte!" an infected binome shouted over a loudspeaker.  
  
In that moment, Bob snatched Starwell. The Glitch-Pole was stuck somewhere below the bridge, and they pole vaulted to the other side of the bridge. "Now then," said Bob, "RUN!"  
  
Starwell didn't have to be told twice. She broke into a full run, adrenaline taking over as she forgot the weariness from her previous bolt. She darted across the cracked and crumbling ground, barely watching where she was going as another ABC car appeared.  
  
"Stop right there!" the voice called out. "Surrender or be deleted!"  
  
"This way!" Bob made a sharp turn.  
  
Starwell skidded a couple of meters, catching herself just in time to dash after Bob. She had no idea where she was going, but she was sure he knew where he was going.  
  
The ABC car lined up Starwell in its sights. Then it fired. The ABC car exploded. A figure walked from the Principal Office, unidentifiable at Starwell's and Bob's distance, a weapon of sorts in their hand.  
  
"What happened?" Starwell whispered, grabbing Bob's arm.  
  
"I think its best not to question it at the moment."  
  
They reached the streets.  
  
"Where are we going?" Starwell asked as she looked around. The way the city appeared, no matter where they went, it didn't seem particularly safe.  
  
"Lost Angles, I hope."  
  
"What's that?" Starwell blinked. "Is there somebody there who can help us?"  
  
"Its the only place that Megabyte may not have touched."  
  
Bob didn't understand what was going on or why. A Time relapse glitch maybe? Nothing was making sense.  
  
"Okay then," Starwell nodded. "How far is it?" she asked as they proceeded forward.  
  
"Across sectors." The Guardian was uncharacteristically short, both distracted and determined. His spirits had dampened, replaced by something grim.  
  
Starwell huffed. She at least knew enough to realize that that meant a lot of running. "Can't we get a couple of zip boards or--or something?" She demanded. She hated zip boards. She really did. But if it meant crossing this infected wasteland just that much more quickly, she'd try it.  
  
"I don't think zip boards are going to work here."  
  
Starwell growled in frustration, even if she felt relieved at the same time. "Then let's go!" She took off in a full sprint, dashing down the side of the street. She just wanted to keep moving; it felt very important to do so.  
  
"Starwell-!" Bob dashed to catch up.  
  
Gizmo started beeping and chirping. Starwell slowed just enough to glance over her shoulder; a small group of infected binomes were coming toward her. She gasped an intake of air and continued to sprint forward, full speed ahead.  
  
"Run!" yelled Bob.  
  
Starwell ran to the end of the street and made a sharp turn into an alley. She stumbled forward and fell over a fallen trash can. A pair of nulls squeaked and sprinted away, obviously started. "Ow," Starwell groaned as she pushed herself up. One thing was for sure; she had bad luck when it came to alleys and dumpsters.  
  
"Wha's that? Whose there?" said an old, if Asian accented voice.  
  
"Huh?" Starwell froze, and remained completely still for a long moment. "Uh... is somebody there?" she called out tentatively.  
  
"Starwell!" Bob came into the alleyway, "I thought I lost you for a nano there... What're you looking at?"  
  
Starwell glanced in his direction, then she pointed ahead. "There's somebody over there... I don't know who."  
  
"I told you crazy kids not to step on my sausages!" said the Asian voice again, and something rolled out into the open.  
  
Bob was staring, mouth agape. "...Phong?"  
  
"Phong?" Starwell gasped. "What's he doing out here?" she whispered softly to Bob.  
  
Bob didn't speak. Phong did not look right. Wires jutted from his head and his color scheme had been switched into blue, black and green. A bar code was on his head. Bob never thought the old ReadMe file could be infected. Guess I was wrong about that, he thought. Then again… hadn’t Daemon managed to infect him? That realization caused his energy to freeze solid in his veins, briefly.  
  
"Phong," Bob said, "Remember me? Its Bob."  
  
"Bob? Bob who? There's no Bob, never was!" Phong had this strange changing pitch in his voice. The file must have gone crazy.  
  
"Phong..." Bob’s voice cracked with anguish. His hands clenched tightly at his sides.  
  
Starwell looked absolutely creeped out. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'm gonna leave now," she said, already backing away. Phong had obviously gone crazy or something, and she didn't feel comfortable around him.  
  
"Phong, what about everyone else?" said Bob, refusing to move, "Where's Dot? And Enzo? Where is everybody?"  
  
"Everybody? There is no body! No body but me and my pet! You want to see?" The Infected Phong rounded a corner and brought out a little cage, "This little one used to be Command Dot Com, but nobody believes me."  
  
Bob stared, and his legs trembled.  
  
"I don't want to hear any more of this!" Starwell pressed herself against the wall and began to move past them both. She refused to go back in the direction they came from, but she didn't want to stick around here either.  
  
"Dot...?" The small, green null seemed to perk its “head” in his direction. It almost seemed to recognize its name, at least to a limited extent. Perhaps that was just his imagination, though.  
  
Starwell hesitated for a moment. "Bob, we gotta get out of here," she hissed at him, trying to get his attention. "They're still gonna come for us!"  
  
Bob’s digits dug painfully into his palms as he clenched his fists more tightly. "Lets move."  
  
Starwell swallowed, turning away completely and trying to block out the images she'd just seen. She wanted to think about this as little as she could.  
  
"What are we gonna do?" she murmured as they began to move. "Can this... be fixed?" Even as she said that, it sounded stupid. How did you go about fixing this much desolation?  
  
Bob stayed silent as he kept moving.  
  
They walked a couple of blocks in complete silence. Thankfully they avoided any kind of contact with hostiles. However, it finally reached the point where Starwell couldn't take it anymore. She stopped, planting her feet firmly against the ground.  
  
"This place looks totally ruined," she said, her voice choking somewhat. "Bob, can it be fixed somehow or not?" He was a Guardian. If anybody knew a way to fix it, he would.  
  
"If its a glitch, then we may just get pulled back out." Bob continued walking. Starwell stared after him for a moment, then she began to follow him again.  
  
They finally reached the edge of the city; the Island of Lost Angles was getting closer to view, but they still had a ways to go.  
  
"Bob," Starwell finally said, "is there... another place we can go to? Another system?" She hated the idea. She really, really hated it, and she didn't even want to think about Matrix and the others being... gone. But at the same time she had to think practically, didn't she? She wasn't even sure if she would ever see her family and home outside the Net again. As long as she didn't dwell on it too much... maybe that made the idea of leaving Mainframe a little more bearable.  
  
This wasn't her real home, as much as what happened here pained her. Her real home was still out there somewhere.  
  
"I won't abandon Mainframe." Bob was firm, resolute.  
  
"But maybe we can get help or something," Starwell insisted. "Maybe one of us can go, I don't know!" She grabbed his arm. "If there's anything we can do here by ourselves, then tell me. Otherwise I think we should leave!"  
  
"Maybe not--"  
  
The nearest object exploded in a blaze of electrical fire. A Black figure was mere couple miles behind. Gizmo squawked; Starwell dropped into a defensive crouch and froze, wide-eyed. "What was that?" she squeaked. "Who is that?!"  
  
Bob had tensed, standing at the ready. "I don't know."  
  
Another explosion, to nearby window. The shots seemed... planned. It wasn't that the figure was missing, it was purposely taking targets around them. It was playing.  
  
Gizmo beeped a few times. Starwell furrowed her brow. The Keytool was right; if that figure truly wanted them deleted, it would have hit them already. But that didn't mean it wouldn't suddenly choose to hit them.  
  
"Gizmo... energy shield," she whispered as she stepped closer to Bob. She didn't want to take any chances. A bluish energy bubble formed around her and the Guardian. The shield was hit. Just at the top, just above their heads. It flickered, but did not fall. And a small red light appeared on the head of the figure. "Oh my God..." Starwell glanced sharply at Bob. "It can't be..." She gulped. "Can it?"  
  
"Enzo?!"  
  
Another blast, but this one was closer to base. Starwell gave a little scream, crouching down again. Not that it made much difference, considering the energy field surrounded them in a wide bubble; it didn't matter if she stood or crouched.  
  
"Why's he shooting at us?!" she shrieked.  
  
"I don't know--" Another blast cut him off, and it shook the ground beneath. The figure was getting closer.  
  
"Let's get out of here," Starwell whispered, backing up. Her bitmap touched the inside of the shield; she hissed softly as it gave her a slight poke. "Gizmo, mobilize the shield," she requested, and then she continued to back up. Gizmo beeped, and the shield moved as she moved, keeping her at its center at all times. This forced Bob to move, too.  
  
The ground beneath began exploding. Starwell screamed. "Gizmo kill the shield!" she yelled, panicking. Gizmo squawked a protest, but complied. Starwell picked a random direction and began to run. Bob ran with her.  
  
And then the road beneath him burst. He was sent tumbling, and he couldn't quite feel his left leg. Starwell cried out as she was sent crashing to the ground, face-first. It hurt. Gizmo beeped several times--and then fell silent, some distance away. Starwell quickly realized that somehow Gizmo had come loose and gone flying. She tensed, unsure if she should go look for it or help Bob.  
  
She gritted her teeth, staring at the Guardian. "BOB!" she yelled. She got down as low as she could against the ground and moved toward him, trying to stay below fire. "Are you okay?" she whimpered. "Come on, get up! Please!"  
  
"Go on. I don't think I can keep up at the moment." The bottom of his left leg was missing sponge, and the ankle was bent at an unnatural angle.  
  
"B-but Bob--!" A shot rang out, and somehow it sounded ominous even during the brief instant it took to reach Starwell. Time seemed to stand still for a single nano as her eyes flew wide.  
  
Gizmo could be heard screeching more loudly than a Keytool had ever sounded off before as pain exploded in Starwell's bitmap; the shot impacted somewhere in her back. It seemed to tear into her very code, her very being. She couldn't even scream.   
  
"Oops. Didn't mean to hit that hard," the voice was indeed familiar, but full of malicious joy. Starwell couldn't move. Her fingers clenched against the ground, grasping at it, but she couldn't even push herself up.  
  
Her other arm was outstretched in front of her, simply because of the way she'd fallen. She feebly stretched out and touched something... it felt like hard, spongy armor, and then a bitmap. Bob's hand, perhaps. A soft groan escaped her lips; it was all she could manage.   
  
Bob looked up, at the attacker. The sprite looked so much the same, and yet so different. His Icon was missing. His one golden eye had been replaced with something that glowed a green in contrast to his skin. He wore black, and bore a bar code on his forehead. "Oh Enzo..."  
  
Starwell gasped sharply. Was this what... dying (or deletion) felt like? Or was she degrading or something? She weakly looked up at the sprite that towered over them. She tried to say something, anything, but nothing came out.


	46. Chapter 46

"Who’s the girl? She's cute."  
  
Despite the dire situation, that actually made Starwell blink. She opened her mouth wide and inhaled sharply. With a fierce grunt she managed to force herself to roll over onto her side. Her face contorted into a silent scream as sharp pain lanced through her form.  
  
"S-stop," she finally managed to gasp out. "P-please..."  
  
"Stop? Stop what?" Matrix grinned, something so unnatural for the one in the regular Mainframe. He firmly planted a boot on Starwell, "Are you instigating that I try something?"  
  
Her eyes flew absolutely wide with horror. His weight against her ribs felt like they could crack any minute underneath his boot. She cried out in pain; the damage in her back protested under the new abuse, sending a wave of searing pain throughout her bitmap.  
  
"M-Matrix," she pleaded hoarsely. She had no idea where Gizmo was, but it was obvious that the Keytool was too far away to help. "It's me. You know... 'Pup'. Don't you r-remember?" She stared up at him with pleading eyes, even as her vision swam.  
  
"Remember what?" He knelt, checking out Starwell's position. "So far, the only thing I can think of is how I'm the last sprite of this system. I think its time for an... expansion."

Matrix licked his teeth.  
  
And then Bob tackled him.  
  
Starwell grunted as the massive green sprite was suddenly knocked off of her. Terror engulfed her as it sank in that Matrix was truly not himself. This wasn't like the werewolf infection or when HORNS took him over, this was... something different. Something worse that ran far deeper.  
  
With that realization came a brutal adrenaline rush as she scrambled to her feet, crying out in agony as she forced herself to her feet. She gritted her teeth together hard as she looked at the sprites wrestling on the ground nearby; her molars started doing a tap-dance as she trembled.  
  
"Matrix!" she hissed out. "Stop it! Please! Remember the games? When we were werewolves? Remember HORNS? Come on, you gotta--" Her legs wobbled and she fell to her knees. "R-remember," she finished weakly.  
  
"GET OFF OF ME!"  
  
With a bad leg, and strength that paled in comparison to Matrix's, Bob was easily over whelmed. He was beaten and bruised and was sure that he had broken most of his internal hardware. But he didn't give up. "This isn't you Enzo!" He said through wheezes.   
  
Matrix roared.  
  
Starwell tried to say something, anything. She started to fall forward, only to catch herself with her hands; her arms shook violently as she fought to keep herself from falling flat on the ground. Her sprite-body's lungs felt like they were going to explode as she inhaled and exhaled in a series of sharp gasps. The pain in her body throbbed, yet somehow it had dulled into a partially numb ache. Either she was going into some kind of shock, or perhaps her body was recovering somehow. She hoped for the latter.  
  
"Matrix," she breathed, "don't you remember me? Or AndrAIa? Or even Bob?"  
  
"BOB IS GONE!" With that Matrix gripped his strangely new gun, and pressed it against Bob's head. Time stopped.  
  
Starwell froze, staring at the scene before her in horror. In the instant of silence that followed, she suddenly became aware of a faint beeping in the distance. Maybe it had been sounding off all along; perhaps she hadn't been paying attention to far-off noises until now.  
  
"Gizmo?" The beeping sounded again, more insistently. She gritted her teeth. "Gizmo, do something!" she rasped hoarsely. She glimpsed a bright flash of light out of the corner of her vision; something, perhaps an energy beam or something, was being shot directly at Matrix.  
  
She didn't see the outcome; she collapsed flat on her face. She was still conscious; she simply couldn't hold herself up any longer.  
  
Matrix fell. He landed on top of Bob. Gun bounced away. Bob had a hard time breathing, next to the pain and to Matrix's dead weight.  
  
Starwell shifted just enough to get her face away from the ground; she glanced up. She felt something come into contact with her arm; Gizmo had returned to her. It beeped at her. She tried to answer, but she could only manage a groan. She squeezed her eyes shut and steeled herself. Then, with great effort, she managed to push herself up into a sitting position.  
  
"Bob?" she called out weakly. "Matrix?"  
  
"...I'm here," said Bob, "Can't move very well... But here."  
  
Starwell let out a breath of relief. "Gizmo... could you get Matrix off of Bob?" The Keytool beeped, and a silver beam of energy shot out from its base; the silver light engulfed Matrix's form and lifted him off of Bob. Then Gizmo deposited the big burly sprite onto the ground several meters away; Gizmo was not gentle in setting him down.  
  
Starwell clenched her teeth and began to crawl toward Bob. "You... okay?" she gasped.  
  
"...Don't think I'll be getting up anytime soon..."  
  
"I'm not moving very well either," Starwell grunted. She just barely made it to him when she collapsed again. She stretched out a feeble arm; she managed to touch his shoulder. "Maybe.... Gizmo can..."  
  
Gizmo suddenly beeped. "Oh no..." Starwell grimaced. "He's almost out of energy."  
  
"Don't think Glitch can be much help, he can't exactly pull things out of thin air."  
  
Starwell sighed. "What're we gonna do then, just lie here until we..." She stopped. For the first time, she honestly began to wonder what would happen to her if she... died. Or ceased to exist within the Net. Or whatever. What would happen to her? She thought briefly of her conversation with Bob about human souls. Did she still have a soul here, or had that changed somehow when she was converted into an energy-based sprite?  
  
I'm still me, she thought. I have to be. I still have all my memories from... out there...   
  
"Yeah..." Bob coughed. His form began to flicker.  
  
Starwell allowed her form to go limp. Perhaps if she could rest for a few nanos she could access her energy reserves and get up.  
  
"What happens... if a User dies in a system?" She asked the question aloud before she could stop herself.  
  
"...Don't know." Bob clenched his teeth, and he's see-through. Electrical discharges occur underneath the bitmap.  
  
Starwell squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to look at him anymore. She simply continued to touch his shoulder gently, though she could feel it phasing in and out. She thought she heard a noise a short distance away; it sounded like someone moving, possibly grunting. Gizmo hissed.  
  
Great. Matrix wasn't waking up, was he? She groaned softly at the thought.  
  
Footsteps came in her direction, each one sounding as ominous as the ticks on a time-bomb that counted down to an explosion. Starwell remained completely still, barely breathing as she hoped that whoever it was would go away.   
  
Bob still didn't look good, and she didn't feel much better herself. She eyed Gizmo, and then she glanced at Glitch.  
  
The footsteps stopped. All was silent as Starwell held her breath. A few nanos ticked by. There was no more sound, no more footsteps. Then there was a terrible sound, like that of a gun cocking.  
  
Gizmo chose that moment to make a sound, as quietly as any Keytool could muster. However, it didn't speak to Starwell; it was addressing Glitch. [Do you care about this system?] Gizmo asked, repeating the question it had asked what felt like an eternity ago. For some reason, Gizmo really seemed to want to know how Glitch truly felt about Mainframe.  
  
[Yes. I do.] Glitch answered. Now Gizmo was silent. Perhaps speechless, or touched, or perhaps both.  
  
There was the sound of shuffling feet, and then the deafening noise of a bullet being fired. Starwell screamed as the deadly shot impacted her. She had no idea if it came from Matrix's gun or if someone else had come by. She felt it tear into her bitmap, causing a far worse Injury than the one she already had.  
  
Her vision swam, and... either it was her imagination or everything around her seemed to flicker. She tried to blink, but she couldn't see anything very well at all.  
  
Random. One word, and that summed up what happened next. Things degraded and reshaped and degraded, things turned colors, the sky was a mass of sparks. Rumbling could be heard all around, and it seemed that the senses had become unstable.  
  
Bob could taste purple, and that was a very bad sign. The chaos continued for another few nanos; Starwell was oblivious to most of it due to her fading in and out of consciousness. What she did see were bright flashes of light, possibly things like multiple System Tears... only worse. They were everywhere all at once. Then everything around her seemed to engulf into a bright flash of white, and then there was complete darkness.  
  
Suddenly, Starwell found herself on her hands and knees, on the grass in the middle of the park. She gasped, her eyes widening as she quickly looked around.  
  
Everything was normal again. The sky was blue, all of Mainframe looked perfectly fine, and several binomes were still out playing, walking, or enjoying their picnics.   
  
Starwell clutched her chest as she shoved herself to her feet, breathing rapidly. Gizmo beeped at her, and she glanced at the Keytool. Then she touched her back; it didn't even hurt. She felt numb inside, but that was largely due to shock.   
  
"Oh my God..." she breathed, stunned. "What just happened?"  
  
Bob was blinking. He wasn't degraded anymore. It wasn't Megaframe anymore. And there wasn't a psychotic Matrix lying unconscious nearby.  
  
"What you experienced was a temporal distortion of reality." Phong, completely normal and not insane Phong, rolled into sight.  
  
"...Phong?"  
  
Starwell flinched, nearly jumping out of her bitmap. Then she sat down on the grass, hard.  
  
"What. The Hell. Just happened?!" she demanded in a hoarse voice. She might have screamed if she wasn't so stunned and disoriented.  
  
"I had a an alternate reality simulator active on both of you," said Phong.  
  
This sounded familiar. Bob had been told by Dot once that Phong had done the same thing to her.  
  
It took Starwell a long nano or two just to process those words. Then she blinked as she finished letting it sink in. She huffed. "A what?" she asked. "That sounded like something from Star Trek..."  
  
"An Alternate reality simulator," said Phong, "I used it to show you one of the worse possible simulation, and that the guilt you feel now is no where near as what you think it could be."  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Starwell shoved herself to her feet again, shaking all over. "You put me through some kind of weird experience without even warning me first?" She clenched her fist and pressed it against her chest, unsure if she felt more angry or stunned and amazed.  
  
"For you to better understand."  
  
"...Starwell, don't get mad at him," Bob sat up, rubbing his head.  
  
"To understand what?!" Starwell snapped, still shaking. She still felt terrified, though it was rapidly giving way to anger. "Other ways I can cause problems in Mainframe? What the hell happened in the end anyway? You owe me that much! Tell me what happened!”  
  
“Well, you fragmented into oblivion, child,” Phong answered. “My scans have shown that your presence in this System has embedded you deeply into the registry.”  
  
“You mean,” Bob said, “if a User residing in a System is fragmented or deleted… the System will go down with the User?” He blinked in astonishment, a little horrified.  
  
“It would seem so, my son.”  
  
Starwell threw her hands into the air and began to walk away, in no particular direction. She pressed her lips into a thin line, stewing as she moved. Gizmo beeped at her, but she ignored the Keytool. If it's not a Guardian who's trying to kill me or having to deal with these stupid Games where I might destroy a sector and everybody in it... now I have to worry about people playing with my mind! she thought angrily as she stamped across the grass. Now they’re trying to tell me that I’m a deep-rooted presence who could kill a System if I die. Just wonderful.  
  
"...Where are you going, Pup?"  
  
Starwell whirled at the familiar voice. She stared straight up at Matrix and instantly remembered his infected alter ego's intentions a short time ago. She simply reacted by screaming and backing away. Gizmo hissed, pretty agitated itself.  
  
For a moment, Matrix was surprised. "Starwell? What- Why are you screaming?"  
  
She gulped, simply staring at him a moment longer. A short series of beeps and whirs from Gizmo made her snap out of her daze. "...Just leave me alone," she finally said. "I just need a... moment." She turned and started to walk away very fast.  
  
With that Matrix watched her walk, and then he turned to Bob and Phong. He yelled, "What in the Web did you do?!"  
  
Starwell vaguely heard the yelling behind her; she tuned it out. She was still mad and she was still trying to process everything. She found herself near what appeared to be a gazebo. She stopped and stared at it curiously. Now that was something that reminded her of home. Perhaps, despite the weirdness and insanity of this world, some things were still similar indeed.  
  
She entered the gazebo and plunked herself down on a bench inside of it. She gripped the edge of the wood-like texture and squeezed her eyes shut. For a moment, she just tried to pretend she was back home.  
  
Unfortunately, images from the Infected "Megaframe" intruded her brain. When she tried to shove that stuff out of her brain, memories from the Game with HORNS protruded. She buried her face into her hands. "I'm in a living nightmare, that's what this is," she moaned into her palms.  
  
"Hey, Starwell! Aren't you that User lady everybody's talking about?" A little green sprite had followed Starwell.  
  
Starwell glanced up, sheepishly wiping at her eyes. She realized she had been crying a little. She stared at the kid; she remembered meeting him once at the Principal Office. For a moment she thought of her brother, Greg, though this kid was younger than him. She ignored the question. "I'd... rather be alone right now," she murmured.  
  
"Aw! You sound like old man Pearson. He runs the Data Dump in Ghetty Prime. He never lets me have fun."  
  
Maybe it's because you barge into people's personal space when they'd rather be left alone. Starwell thought. "I've just had a very rough second," she said aloud. "And I don't want to talk about." Gizmo started chirping. "Oh be quiet," Starwell muttered, not in the mood for his commentary.  
  
Gizmo seemed a little put out by that. After all, it's not like Starwell was the only one who'd had a bad day. Gizmo itself had experienced a brush with death in the HORNS Game, been captured, and experienced the horror of the alternate reality with Starwell.  
  
Maybe it was time to spruce things up a little... just this once. Gizmo changed shape into a sphere. Starwell blinked with surprise as the altered Keytool rolled off of her arm and began bouncing along the floor.  
  
"...Gizmo, what are you doing?" she demanded, dumbfounded. Gizmo beeped something that roughly translated as, Catch me if you can! It bounced around near the little sprite's feet.  
  
"Alphanumeric!" the young sprite picked up the ball, "So is your Keytool like Bob's?"  
  
Starwell sighed heavily. "Sort of, I guess," she remarked. She really didn't feel like carrying on a conversation right now, but apparently Gizmo had other ideas... or something. "He's been better behaved than this lately," Starwell griped, narrowing her eyes at the altered Keytool.  
  
The ball formed a mouth, just enough to give a silly, toothy grin. Then it reverted back to a regular ball.  
  
"Cool! Can I try a command? Can I? Can I?"  
  
"I don't know," Starwell sighed. "Sometimes he doesn't even listen to me."  
  
As if to prove this point, Gizmo suddenly bounced out of Enzo's hand and flew out of the gazebo. Starwell swore under her breath. "GIZMO, GET BACK HERE!" Starwell yelled, but the Keytool was already bouncing in its ball-form across the grassy park, toward Bob, Phong and Matrix.   
  
"What does he think he's doing?" Starwell grumbled.  
  
"That's funny, Glitch never does that to Bob."


	47. Chapter 47

Gizmo approached the two sprites and the ReadMe file, in full mischievous mode. The ball bounced around Matrix and then Phong, and then went rolling across the grass until it bumped into Bob's foot.  
  
“So please, Enzo,” the Guardian was saying, and then noticed something knocking against his foot. Then Gizmo's ball-shape bumped Bob's foot again. “Gizmo…?” Bob raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”  
  
Gizmo then began to bounce up down in place, beeping at Glitch. [Come on, Glitch. Want to play?]  
  
[Go back to your User.]  
  
Gizmo's sphere-shape stopped bouncing. It settled into the grass. [You are no fun, Glitch,] Gizmo stated, yet it seemed to expect that answer. It immediately began to bounce and roll back in the direction of the gazebo.  
  
Once there, Gizmo's sphere-shape bounded back into the gazebo and began to bounce around again. "Gizmo, cut it out." Starwell snatched the ball out of mid-air, squeezing it. "What's the matter with you?"  
  
Gizmo returned to its Keytool shape. Starwell glared at it. [You are too uptight; I thought you would enjoy a little fun,] Gizmo beeped at her.  
  
Starwell rolled her eyes. "I am not in the mood! For either of you!" She snapped, at both Enzo and Gizmo. She thought she saw the boy's face fall out of the corner of her eye.  
  
Starwell sighed. "Look, I didn't mean to be rude." She sighed again. She also knew that if she kept this up, her temper would up ticking everyone off. And she wasn't going to run away to the ghetto again; that wouldn't solve anything.  
  
Besides, Bob and Matrix would probably just find her again anyway.  
  
Starwell knelt down to Enzo's eye-level. "Look," she told him, "I need to go talk to Phong and Bob for a few nanos. In the meantime..." She gently placed Gizmo in his hand. "Could you hold onto him for me? Just... make sure he stays out of trouble." She gave Gizmo a stern, warning glare.  
  
She wasn't sure why she was doing this. Maybe she just felt like making the kid's day--or second, rather--if she could, considering how awful the Net had been treating her lately.  
  
"Alphanumeric!" Enzo took the ball in his hands.  
  
"Be good, Gizmo," Starwell gave one final warning, then she gave Enzo a pat on the shoulder. "I'll be back in a bit, kid." Without another word Starwell left the gazebo. She pressed her lips into a thin line as she walked across the grass, taking the time to gather her thoughts.  
  
When she reached the others, she cleared her throat and then said, "Okay... I'm sorry I ran away like that. It just hasn't been a very good second, you know?"  
  
Matrix's hands were in fists, he was breathing hard and didn't speak. Phong didn't appear to be in sight.  
  
"Give him a moment, Starwell," said Bob.  
  
Starwell simply nodded. She was feeling a little better, but she still felt a bit ticked off herself. She took a moment to simply look around. The park was emptier than it had been earlier; it seemed that most of the binomes had come home. Though there were a few programs shaped like Numbers moving about that she hadn't seen there before.  
  
Finally she spoke again. "I just want to know why Phong put us through that," she said, eyeing Bob warily.  
  
"Ease guilt. Show us worse scenarios. You could have landed in a System just like that, somewhere."  
  
Starwell let out a breath. "Well, Phong could have warned us first," she insisted. She was no longer angry, more frustrated. "I mean, you saw what happened to me in there! And that Matrix almost..." She trailed off, glancing at the present Matrix sheepishly.  
  
Matrix grumbled something unintelligible.  
  
"Yeah. I know," said Bob, "He didn't exactly warn me when he presented the giant robot either."  
  
"Uh... Giant robot?" Starwell blinked.  
  
"Well-"  
  
"Don't ask," Matrix interrupted.  
  
"Uh... okay then," Starwell said with a little shrug. After everything she'd been through lately, maybe the less she knew the better.  
  
"There's something that still confuses me," she added, looking at Bob again. "What happened at the end, there? I mean... is that really what happens when a User... dies in a system?" She swallowed. She couldn’t quite believe it, and she could barely even remember any of the end of that… scenario.  
  
Bob’s face paled slightly. Obviously he could remember it better than she did. "...I don't know. I don't think I want to know. I don't even know what that was."  
  
Matrix blinked, "What happened?"  
  
Starwell choked, cleared her throat, and started again. "Well, I died, I guess... or I was just about to die, and the System just..." She looked at Bob again. "Bob, how would you describe it?" She couldn't find the words.  
  
"Everything went Random."  
  
"Yeah... I guess that about sums it up." Starwell sighed and rubbed her forehead.   
  
"Sounds like the Web."  
  
"Look... I think I just want to go take a nap or something," Starwell said, shaking her head. "It's been a very, very long day." She couldn't quite stifle a yawn.  
  
She glanced back toward the gazebo. "Oh yeah, I left Gizmo with Enzo... hope he's behaving himself."  
  
At that moment, a ball hit the back of Matrix's head. "HEY!"  
  
"Sorry!"  
  
"Gizmo!" Starwell held out her arm. "Get over here, now."  
  
The ball bounced around a couple more times, then it reluctantly changed back into its default Keytool shape. Gizmo then returned to Starwell's arm.  
  
Gizmo then beeped at Glitch. [You see? Now THAT is how you have fun. You should try it sometime, Glitch.]  
  
[I would not do something so ridic-]  
  
"Aw!" Little Enzo came running up, "Hey Bob, can I command Glitch? Please?"  
  
Bob smiled and shrugged, he took Glitch from his arm and handed it to him, "Don't be reckless."  
  
"Glitch! Ball!" And the Keytool formed into ball, and was promptly played with.  
  
Starwell chuckled, amused in spite of herself. She was too tired and mentally drained to laugh very much though. Gizmo, however, showed no such restraint. [Why Glitch, it appears you are having fun whether you like it or not!]  
  
[I will not defy Enzo Matrix.]  
  
[Oh yeah? And why is th--]  
  
"Gizmo, put a lid on it." Starwell yawned, unable to keep the sleepiness at bay anymore. "You two have fun," she winked at Glitch and Enzo.  
  
"Bob, I hope I answered your questions about my world and whatnot as much as you wanted earlier," she told the Guardian, and then she turned to Matrix.   
  
"I believe so," said Bob.  
  
"Good,” Starwell nodded tiredly. “Wanna walk with me to the Principal Office, Matrix?" she asked with a sweet smile.   
  
"...Yeah, sure," said Matrix.  
  
Starwell smiled at Bob, then she glanced at Matrix. She gave the big, green sprite a little nod and began to walk forward. As she and Matrix began to walk, Gizmo made one last razz at Glitch. [Have fun being a little boy's toy. You have more balls than I thought.]  
  
"Alright," Starwell snapped, "that does it." She stopped and removed Gizmo from her arm. "Once I get back to my room, you're spending the night in the desk drawer."  
  
Gizmo squawked in protest.   
  
Starwell gave the Keytool a light squeeze, then dropped her arm and held it alongside her body in her hand. Gizmo disliked being carried in such a manner, but it finally shut up.  
  
She glanced toward Matrix, taking in his normal presence. Thankfully the infected, monstrous, perverted Matrix was fading from her mind now. It was something she would always remember, she was simply relieved that this Matrix wasn't like that.  
  
"So how're you doing?" she asked him. "I know HORNS was kinda... rough on you."  
  
"I'm fine. There have been worse things."  
  
"Yeah... I guess there has been," Starwell muttered, again thinking of the weird vision--or whatever it was--that she had witnessed very recently. "How do you handle life in the Net, anyway? I mean... it seems so dangerous, almost... Random."  
  
"Not when you’re everybody but us."  
  
"Huh... I guess that makes sense." Starwell paused in her stride and eyed him thoughtfully. "I really don't know how well you'd survive in my world," she said thoughtfully. "In fact..." She snorted as a sudden thought came to her. "You'd probably end up getting arrested in the first few seconds."  
  
Starwell realized she wasn’t really going anywhere, she was just standing around talking again. Well, she’d get to the Principal Office… eventually. Maybe she did need to settle down a little more before she went to get some rest anyway.  
  
"Why's that?" asked Bob.  
  
Starwell gave him an odd look. "Well... for one thing, people get a little paranoid sometimes when it comes to guns." She pointed at Gun on Matrix's belt. "Seriously, man, if you just showed that thing to a few people at my school, everybody would freak. They might even call the bomb squad to come get you!" Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. But she was trying to make him understand just how panicky and paranoid her country seemed to be at times.  
  
"Guardian Code wouldn't allow me to do that," said Matrix, "You worry over nothing."  
  
Starwell shook her head. "You don't get it," she said. "Where I come from, people are paranoid. Even if they see Gun resting harmlessly on your hip, some people on the street might label you a murderer or something. At least..." She coughed. "It seems that way sometimes."  
  
"You're strange, Pup."  
  
"Well, so are you guys," Starwell said as she continued walking. "I mean, if my friends or cousins saw this place," she made a sweeping gesture that indicated the city, "and met you guys, they'd freak. Or they'd think they were dreaming." She blinked. "I'm not even sure what I thought the first time I saw the Net... before I ended up in Mainframe."  
  
"Well, it isn't exactly everyday that a User shows up on the Net," said Bob.  
  
"Does that mean I'm strange?" She eyed Bob and Matrix curiously.  
  
"Yes," Matrix said bluntly.  
  
If this had been said any earlier, Starwell might have been stung, hurt, or even offended. Instead, she smirked and seemed more curious than anything. "How am I strange?" she asked. "You guys thought I was a regular sprite when you first met me."  
  
"You have a Keytool-" pointed out Matrix.  
  
"-the system registered you-" said Bob.  
  
"-Games count you as a second player-"  
  
"-You don't have an Icon-"  
  
"-and you're a Pup," finished Matrix.  
  
"Yeah, well," Starwell said, "you guys have flying cars, you get around on Zip Boards, and Games apparently nullify you."   
  
She blinked, taking a moment to look around the park one last time; they had reached the edge of it.   
  
"And everything around me feels so real," she remarked, "but somehow... it feels so artificial at the same time. At least, compared to my world."  
  
She wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to re-assure herself that her own bitmap was real. Even it felt... different, compared to her "real" body. Gizmo took advantage of the movement of her hands to slip out of her grip and return to its proper place on her arm.  
  
Matrix crossed his arms, "Wouldn't know how that feels."  
  
On impulse, Starwell reach out and grabbed Matrix's hand. "So, I don't feel any different to you?" she asked. Maybe she just wanted to confirm in her mind, one last time, that she really did seem like a sprite in the Bitmap within this place. Nothing more, nothing less... nothing different, at least to the touch.  
  
Gizmo beeped. [Here we go again!] Its “tone” was mildly mischievous.  
  
"Shut up," Starwell hissed at the Keytool.  
  
Matrix stood awkwardly.  
  
"No, no you don't," Bob said, not so awkward.  
  
Gizmo beeped something that made Starwell gasp and let go of Matrix's hand. "Why you..." Starwell huffed. If she could storm away from her own Keytool she would have. Instead she just glared at it. "I've just about had it up to here with you!" she exclaimed.  
  
"...What?" Matrix asked.  
  
Starwell made a grumpy sound. "Gizmo said I should just kiss one of you and get it over with!" she blurted. She instantly regretted saying that out loud. She cleared her throat, embarrassed.  
  
"...Um...."  
  
[You fool.]  
  
Gizmo clicked at Glitch, [At least I'm not the one still being played with by a little boy.]  
  
"Shut. Up." Starwell snapped.  
  
[What, are you afraid to try? Come on, you would be the first and only User to say she was able to kiss a sprite.]  
  
Starwell pursed her lips. "Will you just stop?" She stamped her foot.  
  
[Oh look, Glitch, she is blushing!]  
  
"...Uh, Bob?"  
  
"Right, Starwell, does Gizmo realize that Matrix is already with someone?"  
  
Starwell glared at each of them. "Oh he just thinks he's being funny," she said. "Gizmo, one more word out of you and..."  
  
Gizmo beeped.   
  
Then Gizmo found itself being tossed like a Frisbee, so it morphed into a true Frisbee and began to fly circles around the sprites. "...I give up," Starwell sighed, shaking her head.   
  
A ball bounced into the air, and knocked the Frisbee out of it. "Sorry!" said Little Enzo.   
  
The Frisbee tumbled against the ground. [Glitch, did you do that on purpose?]  
  
[Perhaps.]  
  
[Then there is hope for you yet!] Gizmo returned to its Keytool shape and re-attached itself to Starwell's wrist.  
  
Starwell gave Gizmo a light slap. "Bad Keytool," she muttered, as if scolding a dog. "I'm sorry about this, guys," she said, eyeing Bob and Matrix sheepishly.  
  
Matrix shrugged.  
  
"Isn't the first time, kinda reminds me of Enzo when he was young."  
  
"Bob..."  
  
Starwell simply shook her head tiredly. "Look, I just want to get back to my room and get some sleep." Before anything else happens, she thought. With her luck another Game cube could pop out of the sky, or something else could happen. Hopefully Phong was done playing tricks on her mind.  
  
Without waiting for a reply, she began to walk at a rapid pace toward the Principal Office.   
  
"Hey-!" Matrix said.  
  
"Wait up!" said Bob, "Enzo, come on!"  
  
"Aw, Bob... Alright..."  
  
Starwell glanced over her shoulder. She slowed her pace a bit, but kept walking.  
  
"You just stay quiet," she grumped tiredly at Gizmo. She didn't want to hear another word out of anyone.  
  
The walk back to the Principal Office was mostly quiet; at least Starwell and Gizmo were silent. Enzo chatted animatedly about this and that, and it was mostly Bob who answered and chit-chatted with him.  
  
Finally they reached the bridge to the Principal Office and walked across it. When they reached the doors, Starwell walked through first, no longer bothering to stifle a yawn. "Man I'm tired," she muttered. "I either need a nap or some energy."  
  
"...Need a drink," mumbled Matrix.  
  
"I think Gizmo could use a recharge, too," Starwell muttered. Gizmo beeped in agreement.   
  
"Hey Bob... could you make sure Gizmo gets a recharge, please?" She asked, gently holding the Keytool out to the Guardian. "You know this place better than I do."  
  
In truth she just didn't want to hear any more of Gizmo's comments for the next few cycles while she rested. She simply wouldn't tell the Keytool that.  
  
"Sure, follow me."  
  
Starwell nodded tiredly and followed the Guardian. "Hope it's not too far, I feel like I'm going to drop," she said with another yawn.


	48. Chapter 48

Starwell froze in place as they entered through another door. Something stood there that looked like an large, sprite-sized robot. “What is that?” she asked, pointing. Was this what Bob was talking about, when he said something about a “giant robot” before?  
  
“Ah,” Matrix took a step forward. “Let me introduce you.” He looked straight at the tall, gold-colored robot figure with the domed, glass head that contained a green, worm-like thing. “Starwell, this is Welman Matrix, my father.” He then looked back at the girl. “Dad,” he went on with the intro, “this is Alpha Starwell.”  
  
“Oh my!” A warbled voice emanated from the head. The bot took a couple of steps forward, peering down at the girl. “So this is the one my daughter told me about! This is… the User!”  
  
Starwell looked up at the strange sight with a mixture of horror and awe. So this is what Matrix had told her about. Before dying in one of the Checkpoints, Matrix had mentioned something about his Dad being a null, and possibly finding a cure for nulls. In that case, this was an example of that.  
  
“Wow,” Starwell breathed. “Um, it’s nice to meet you!” She continued to stare at him somewhat oddly.  
  
“You alright, Pup?”  
  
“I just wasn’t expecting him to look so much like a robot with a green brain,” Starwell answered. She had intended to whisper, but it came out more loudly than she’d intended.  
  
“Starwell…” Bob lowered his eyebrows in the same warning expression he would give Little Enzo. The younger Enzo promptly put his hand over his mouth to stifle a burst of laughter.  
  
The girl suddenly looked sheepish. “Sorry.”  
  
“No, it’s okay, Bob,” Welman said. “I imagine I do look strange. Yes…” A robot digit tapped the glass dome that sheltered the green null. “In a way I guess you could say this is my brain. Actually, I am a null.”  
  
“Yeah… you were nullified in the explosion that destroyed another part of Mainframe, right?” Starwell asked.  
  
“How did you know that?” Matrix wanted to know.  
  
“You told me,” Starwell replied. “Um, it was before we got sent back to one of those Checkpoints.”  
  
“Oh.” Matrix muttered something incoherent.  
  
“Yes, it was a long time ago,” Welman answered.  
  
“Welman and a great number of sprites were nullified in an explosion caused by the arrival of… a virus,” Bob explained.  
  
“Yeah, it destroyed the Twin city,” Matrix said. “It also caused the Virus to split into two, which created Megabyte and Hexadecimal.”  
  
“But… you can talk?” Starwell peered up at the null. “I thought once somebody was nullified, they couldn’t do anything anymore.”  
  
“Well, I’m not sure how it happened either,” Welman said.  
  
“Phong thinks that Hexadecimal may have shared a unique symbiosis with nulls… especially the nullified sprites and binomes who were caught in that explosion,” Bob said.  
  
“How did he formulate that theory?” Welman asked, intrigued.  
  
“Because she has always been able to control nulls,” Bob replied. “And she was created in that same explosion.”  
  
“Hmmm, interesting,” Welman mused. “But,” he said with a dismissive motion of his robotic hand, “we can discuss this more later.” He turned his attention back to the girl. “So you are the User?”  
  
“A User,” Matrix corrected.  
  
“She’s not Mainframe’s User,” Bob clarified. “She comes from a System halfway across the Net.” He’d spoken to Dot and memorized the IP address; it was also stored in Glitch’s memory.  
  
“Oh, then there is more than one User.” Welman said. The theories of Users tended to vary; some sprites and binomes believed there was one Almighty User, others believed there was one User per System… others believed there were only a few here and there. Still others preferred to believe there was no User at all.  
  
“How many Users are there?” Welman asked, curious. He had never dreamed he would have the fortune of meeting one in the code. He had always theorized that there were other peoples and other Systems out there, but for a User to actually set foot in the Net…?  
  
“Uh… a few billion throughout the world,” Starwell answered a bit hesitantly. The restored null may not have had eyes, but she was a little creeped out at the way he was looking at her. He almost seemed like he would love to take her apart and analyze her digit by digit if he could. Or at least he seemed a bit too intrigued… or was it awed? Fascinated?  
  
“That many?” Welman didn’t gasp, but his null form did expand slightly in shock. “I never imagined there could be that many Users…”  
  
“Look, uh…” Starwell seemed uncomfortable. “It’s nice to meet you, but can we talk about something else?” The last thing she wanted to do was talk about life outside the Net… since apparently she couldn’t go home right away. Besides, she had already been through this with Bob; maybe Welman could ask the Guardian about it later if he wanted.  
  
“My apologies,” Welman said with a slight tip of his head. “You have been missing and you have just been returned to us; you must be low on energy. Come and let us all get some nourishment from the energy dispenser!”  
  
"Well... Gizmo needs some energy too," Starwell said, eyeing the Keytool uncertainly.  
  
"Here, Starwell, I can recharge him," said Bob, "If you want."  
  
"Sure," Starwell nodded, handing the Keytool over. "Be good for Bob," she warned Gizmo. The Keytool beeped. "Oh I could count the times on both hands," Starwell answered with a tired smirk.  
  
"Alright," Bob nodded, and held Gizmo in his hands gently.  
  
"I'm coming too Bob!" said Little Enzo, as he ran to catch up with the Guardian.  
  
Starwell watched them go, shaking her head slightly. As much as she loved Gizmo, and felt some kind of connection to the Keytool that she still didn't quite understand, she felt she needed the break from it. Hopefully Gizmo would behave for Bob.  
  
"Well now," Dr. Welman Matrix spoke up, "how about the three of us head over to the energy dispenser?"  
  
"Yeah... sure," Starwell agreed tiredly. In truth she would have preferred it if she could go lie down for a while, but she knew it wouldn't hurt to get some nourishment first.  
  
"Come with me, then," the null said, already moving. "Oh this is so exciting. A User in the Net! If I could write a research file on this I'd be the envy of every professor and scientist out there."  
  
Starwell looked a little uncomfortable. Welman, oblivious to her discomfort, glanced at Matrix. "What do you think of her, Son? Dot tells me you have been around her more than she or your younger brother."  
  
Matrix crossed his arms, "She's okay... Dad." The last word had an awkward feeling in his mouth.  
  
"Has she done anything extraordinary?" Welman asked, as if forgetting that the girl was present. Or perhaps he simply found it a little... overwhelming to speak to a real User directly for the moment. "Can she summon Game cubes out of the sky?"  
  
Starwell blinked. "I haven't even thought about that," she muttered.  
  
"Don't," Matrix said sharply, "No. Dad. She's.... Normal..."  
  
Despite lacking facial features, Welman seemed taken aback by his son's tone. "I... see," he said slowly. His robotic fingertips traced the smooth glass dome the housed the null; his equivalent of scratching his head, perhaps.   
  
“I don't want to talk about Games," Starwell growled.   
  
"But why?" Welman asked as they entered the mess hall of the Principal Office. "Users often play Games outside the Net, do they not?" He gazed at her, as if wanting the answer to an ages-old theory or debate.   
  
“Dad. Drop it.”  
  
Starwell brushed past them into the mess hall. There were a few binomes here and there, obviously having dinner and energy drinks. Most of them were seated at the smaller tables, except for a few who were helping themselves to more snacks and drinks.  
  
A few glanced in her direction as she approached the energy dispenser. When she looked at them, they immediately averted their gaze. Wonder how many more people have heard about the 'User Lady', as Little Enzo called me, she thought as she grabbed a cup and placed it under the dispenser nozzle.   
  
She saw the others approaching out of the corner of her eye. She didn't look at them, but she could hear what they were saying.   
  
"I didn't mean anything by it," Welman was saying to Matrix. "But why would such things be a touchy subject for a User?"  
  
"Remember when I said Normal? Yeah. She's Normal. So Drop it."  
  
Starwell pursed her lips and shut off the valve. She then headed for the nearest empty table and sat down with her energy drink.  
  
"Huh." Welman seemed to puzzle this over as he filled a cup with energy, and then he handed it to Matrix. "Normal, huh?"  
  
The scientist continued to process this as he grabbed another cup with his robotic hand and filled it to the brim. "Well, what do you mean by normal?" he asked, eyeing the girl across the room as she sipped her own energy drink.  
  
"She's a normal teen. Moody, awkward, and socially inept."  
  
"Oh," Welman said, suddenly comprehending. "For a nano I thought you were trying to tell me that there's nothing abnormal about a User being in the Net." He eyed the girl again. She glanced in their direction every so often--except when she realized they were looking at her. Then she became focused on her drink.  
  
"She must be... just about Dot's age, the last time I saw her before the explosion," Welman commented, losing himself in the past for a moment. "That must mean Users have children, who grow up the same way we do." His robotic hand carefully pulled back the dome from the null. He then raised the cup to the edge of his null-self, which drained the energy like a leech. Then the dome popped back into place, protectively over the null.  
  
“…I guess.”  
  
"She seems homesick," Welman said thoughtfully, giving the null equivalent of a sigh. "I wonder how she is going to take the bad news." The robot turned toward the dispenser again, refilling his cup with energy. Despite their small size, nulls could be real energy hogs.  
  
“…What bad news?”  
  
"Oh." Welman paused, holding the drink somewhat awkwardly in his robotic hand. "You haven't heard yet."  
  
“Heard what?”  
  
The null gave a warbling sigh. "Dot told me last second that our resident User came from another system, and wishes to return home. Your sister has a copy of the IP address for that system in the control room, so... we looked into it."  
  
Welman gave the girl a meaningful glance; she was no longer looking in their direction. She appeared to be watching a couple of nearby binomes.  
  
The scientist leaned closer to Matrix and lowered his voice. "It isn't possible to send anyone into that System, portal or otherwise. It has some of the tightest security in the Net; most attempts to send a sprite into that System would probably result in the person being repelled, or worse."  
  
Something broke. Glass hit the ground, and Matrix's fist was clenched and dripping liquid. Welman eyed Matrix with concern. "Are you alright, Son?" he asked.  
  
"I'm fine." The utter lack of a growl, or any inflection, perhaps that was most worrying.  
  
The robot-form took a step back. He didn't seem concerned for his own safety; he knew that Matrix would never inflict harm on his form. But he did know his older son well enough to know that body language.  
  
However, before he could say anything, a binome came up to him. "Excuse me, Dr. Matrix?" he said.  
  
The scientist sighed. "Yes, Quinn?" he addressed his assistant.  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need you in your lab. We think we're close to a breakthrough on restoring nulls to their original form!"  
  
Welman inhaled deeply. For a nano he seemed conflicted, then he looked at Matrix. "Son... you're her friend," he said gently. "Perhaps you can find a way to break the news to her better than I." The robotic arm gave Matrix a light pat on the shoulder. "I will see you later, alright?"  
  
Matrix nodded as his father left. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to be the one to say it. He already knew how it would feel and he didn't want to cause it. He stood there, and took his time trying to remove the glass shards from his hand.  
Starwell finally finished her energy drink and decided to go for another. She slowly stood and walked toward the energy dispenser... and Matrix. Brief relief flashed across her features when she realized Dr. Matrix had left.  
  
It wasn't that she disliked him, it was just... he had made her feel awkward. Starwell glanced at Matrix as she moved toward the dispenser--then her eyebrows shot up. "What happened?" she asked, eyeing the mess on the floor.  
  
"Glass broke." A strange syrup like liquid flowed from one of the deeper wounds as Matrix pulled a larger piece of glass from his hand.  
  
Starwell winced. "Ouch," she uttered emphatically. "Are you okay?" she asked as she gently set her glass down in the dispenser.   
  
"Yeah." He didn't look up.  
  
Starwell looked at him a moment longer, then she turned her attention to refilling her glass. Once it was full she shut off the nozzle. She then took a big sip and then licked her lips. Maybe she was actually starting to get used to this stuff.  
  
"So uh... did you and your Dad talk about anything?" she asked. She thought briefly of her own parents, and then her brother... and of course, Uncle Frank and Aunt Marge. She briefly wondered when she would see her family again. They weren't perfect, but still... they were her family.  
  
"Yeah. We did." He threw the pieces into the nearest garbage disposal, but he allowed his hand to bleed as he flexed it.  
  
"I miss my family," Starwell murmured as she took a couple of steps away from the dispenser. "I mean... well, all of us a bunch of morons at home I guess, but... I miss them."  
  
She sighed wistfully. "Greg--my brother, he's such a little brat. But I miss even that in some ways. And Uncle Frank... he's not so bad either, I guess." She sighed again. "Just wish I could see them again. But I don't know how long I'll be... stuck in the Net."  
  
She figured she should ask someone about that when she got the chance. Maybe the Command Dot Com or somebody would know when she might be able to try safe Net travel. Weird, I think I'm actually gonna miss Mainframe... She gave Matrix a meaningful glance. They're kinda like a family, too...   
  
"Starwell... You can't go home." Idiot! Couldn't he say it better? Word it to be at least comforting? Bob was always better at this stuff, Dot could have done this, Phong could have done this... Where was AndrAIa when he needed her?  
  
For a moment Starwell simply stared at him blankly, as if looking past him. She blinked a few times, as if processing those words. "W-what?" she finally said, blandly. "What did you say?"  
  
"The system you came out of... We tracked it, but we can't get through its security..." by the Net, here it comes... "I'm sorry, but we can't send you home..."  
  
For a moment Starwell simply stood there as if she hadn't heard.   
Then the sound of glass shattering and the gentle slosh of energy spilling filled the area.   
Her cup had slipped right through her fingers as her arm went limp.  
She felt numb inside as she processed this. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but no words came out.  
  
Matrix clenched his injured hand, and it sent up a pang of pain. Why was he the one to do this?  
  
Starwell stared down at the mess on the floor for a long moment. She breathed deeply in and out. Yes, it would make sense that Uncle Frank would have very good security on his System. There was some pretty high-tech stuff there, after all... particularly the prototype that brought her into the Net.  
  
"No," she finally whispered. "There's got to be some way I can go home..."   
  
"I'll find a way," Matrix growled.  
  
Starwell turned away, facing the energy dispenser again. A few of the nearby binomes glanced in her direction, but she ignored them. She shakily reached for another cup, but stopped herself. She didn't trust herself not to drop another one. Instead she gripped the edge of the dispenser tightly as if for support.  
  
Her shoulders trembled and she bit down on her lower lip. She didn't want to start crying, she wanted to be stronger than that. But an involuntary sniffle escaped her nose.  
  
"W-what if it never works?" She looked at Matrix. Her eyes shone with tears. "What if I really can't go home?"  
  
He could have suggested game hopping, but that would have probably ended badly and he wasn't sure how it would have worked for a User. "We're still working on it, don't lose your head... Pup."  
  
She stared at the dispenser for a long moment. Then she looked at him. For a moment it seemed like she might just run away again, like she usually did whenever she got upset or angry. She didn't.  
  
Instead, she walked over to him and clutched at him. She sobbed softly against his chest.  
  
Matrix put a his healthy hand on her, and couldn't help but be reminded of Dot, when he had first seen her after his time in the Games and away from home.  
  
After a few nanos, she finally pulled back a bit. She sniffled and wiped her face on her sleeve. "I'm sorry," she said. She still felt stung by the news, though a bit sheepish for crying at the same time. "Just... I don't know if I can handle living in the Net for the rest of my life, you know? I mean, I really like you guys, and you've done so much for me, but..." She trailed off. She had to wipe her eyes again.  
  
"...Just isn't home. I understand." Matrix closed his eyes briefly.  
  
Starwell nodded. She looked up at his face, but she didn't quite meet his eyes. "Yeah," she said. "And I feel like I need to watch it every time a Game comes down. What if I accidentally nullify a sector again?"  
  
"What if I hacked Mainframe's Core again? Honestly Sugar, you shouldn't beat yourself up."  
  
Starwell turned sharply to see a familiar, orange-haired sprite. "Mouse?" she exclaimed.   
  
"Howdy girl," said Mouse, she nodded at Matrix, "Matrix."  
  
"Mouse," said Matrix.  
  
"Well, in this waterworks, I got some good news. Your icon is finished."  
  
"Icon?" Starwell squinted at the Hacker's hand. Sure enough, it held a flat, circular disk. It was the kind that most binomes and sprites had around Mainframe, with a few exceptions. "You're giving me an icon? What for?"  
  
"So you can enter games without nullifying someone or something accidentally." Mouse pulled from her belt an icon similar to the ones everyone had, though the color scheme was slightly tweaked. Instead of the usual black and white, this icon was off-white and dark blue.  
  
Starwell stared at it. She made no move to take it, but her body language made it clear she wasn't openly rejecting it either. She seemed cautious, curious. "Really?" she breathed after a moment. "That little thing will keep me from hurting anyone in games? How will that work?"  
  
"In theory. I programmed it myself."  
  
"Programmed it to do what?" Starwell blinked, still hesitating. "How will the games see me if I take this?"  
  
"As a User-based AI. Instead of a User or a game sprite, you’ll be accepted as Player Two."  
  
"Huh... okay." Starwell tentatively reached out and took the Icon, holding it gently with her fingertips around the edges of the circular disk. She held it out in front of her at arm's length, staring at it as if it might bite her. "This is going to do anything weird to me when I put it on, will it?"  
  
"Nah, just formally registers you in Mainframe. Nothin' will happen."  
  
Starwell eyed the icon again. Then she looked at Matrix, as if silently asking for some kind of reassurance or confirmation of Mouse's words. She simply wasn't too keen on putting something new on her person, especially something that would likely become... permanent. It wasn't like attaching a pin or a piece of jewelry, after all. She was smart enough to know that much.  
  
Matrix gave a tired but amused face, and nodded. He tapped his own icon, switching it briefly to Game Sprite Mode, before switching it back to normal.  
  
"Okay..." Starwell glanced down at her bitmap. She then put it on her chest, above her bosom and below her throat. The same place Dot wore hers. It nestled into place. "Am I supposed to tap it or anything?" she asked, still staring at it.  
  
"Nope. You're already registered."  
  
"I don't feel any different," Starwell commented, somewhere between relieved and disappointed.  
  
"You're not supposed to. The icon is just as much apart of you as you are of it."  
  
Starwell eyed Matrix's icon, remembering the time from the first game when she held onto it for him. "I think I understand," she finally said. She then turned to Mouse. "Hey, thanks," she told the Hacker. "Maybe... I'll be able to test it out sometime." She gulped, fearing that it might not work.  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it Sugar."  
  
Starwell gave a little smile, but then it quickly faded. She sighed softly. Her plans to go and get some sleep had gone out the window; after hearing Matrix's news, she didn't feel like sleeping. Besides, the energy she had drank energized her a bit more.  
  
"I'm not sure what to do now," she muttered out loud.  
  
"I know what'd cheer you up, a Night on the town."  
  
"Out on the town?" Starwell repeated. "Uh... what's there to do out there?" She thought briefly of her own world. Sometimes she would go out the Cinema with her friends, other times they might go to the mall... or play games. Ugh. Games.  
  
"Probably a drink at Al's. Catch a Vid, something like that."  
  
"That... sounds kinda nice, actually," Starwell said thoughtfully. Obviously Games were not a fun pass-time in this System. She would never be able to look at a Game the same way again, even if she did return home. But... maybe Mouse could show her a good time. "Anybody else coming?" Starwell asked. "What about you, Matrix?"  
  
"No," Matrix deadpanned, "You need to get out more."  
  
“I can probably drag Dot along, and AndrAIa may want to come."  
  
"Uh, okay," Starwell said. She inhaled deeply. Okay, she told herself, just... forget about home for now. Just let yourself think you'll be back there soon, and just... have fun. Go mindless.  
  
"Can we go now?" she asked Mouse hopefully.  
  
"Of course Sugar, lets go get Dot." Mouse began to walk out of the room.  
  
"Bye, Matrix," Starwell said simply, and followed Mouse out.  
  
“Have fun, Pup,” was all that Matrix said.  
  
"Do you think Dot will want to come with us?" the User asked as she followed Mouse. "I mean, she seems pretty busy most of the time."  
  
"She'll follow, if you make her."


	49. Chapter 49

Hallways and corridors, and then a defined door. Mouse opened it, and it seemed to be a command center of sorts inside. binomes running around, others examining terminals, and a Green sprite directing them all.  
  
"Hiya, Dot," said Mouse.  
  
The green-skinned sprite looked at them, "Oh, hey Mouse. Starwell. What brings you here?"  
  
"We're going on a night on the town, and you're joining us."  
  
"What? Mouse, I'd love to, but I can't-" Dot prattled on about System stuff that Mouse would have none off. The Hacker took the Command Dot Com by the arm, and began to drag her away.  
  
"Mouse-!"  
  
"Dot, you've been working for Minutes without a break, I'm sure nothing is going to fall apart while you're gone."  
  
Starwell actually giggled a little in spite of herself as she watched the two interact. As the Hacker proceeded to drag the Command Dot Com out of the command room, she followed along. "So where should we go first?" Starwell asked aloud, starting to get into the spirit of things.  
  
"Have you been to the Diner yet?" asked Mouse.  
  
"Don't think so," Starwell commented. "But that sounds like a really fancy place... like a place people might dress up all fancy to go. Isn't there somewhere a little more wild we go to?" Starwell wasn't sure what she was asking for or what she was getting herself into. Maybe she just wanted to see more of this world, and she wanted something exciting. Just... anything to keep her mind off the news Matrix had told her.  
  
Somehow... the Diner sounded boring.  
  
"Someplace a little 'wilder', huh?" The three sprites turned to see AndrAIa coming toward them. Starwell looked a little startled. "Where'd you come from?" the User asked.  
  
"I just got back from Welman's lab, I was helping out a little in there," AndrAIa replied. "I couldn't help overhearing you guys talking." The former Game sprite folded her arms. "If you want to go someplace 'wild', I know just the place."  
  
"Oh boy," said Dot.  
  
"What?" Starwell asked, intrigued now.  
  
"It's this place near the docks that Matrix and I wandered across when we were kids," AndrAIa said. "It's... a little different from most places in Mainframe. Right, Mouse?" She smiled, as if remembering something specific.  
  
"Right, and you two kids had no business being there." Mouse gave a bemused look.  
  
"I'm not a kid now," AndrAIa winked. "And I think Starwell is old enough."  
  
"Think. Just how old are ya sugar?" asked Mouse.  
  
"I'm sixteen years old," Starwell immediately announced, almost proudly.   
  
"Years?" AndrAIa did a double-take. "Did you say years?"  
  
"Yeah... why?" Starwell asked, looking at her oddly. The way AndrAIa reacted, Starwell felt as if she'd said she was six hundred years old or something.  
  
Both Dot and Mouse looked taken back. "...I think she's old enough,” Mouse remarked.  
  
Starwell blinked at their reaction. It took her a nano to remember where she was and how differently time work, then her mouth formed an "O" shape. "Yeah, time is a little different in the User world,'' she said, scuffing her shoe a bit awkwardly on the floor.   
  
"Huh. You'll have to tell me about it sometime, Sugar."  
  
"Can we go?" Starwell asked, not wanting to give them a chance to change their minds.   
  
"Sure... should I call a cab, or are we gonna use zip boards?" AndrAIa asked.  
  
Starwell made a face. "Please not the zip boards..." she groaned.  
  
"Cab it is. Let's head out--where's Dot?" Mouse was glancing about.  
  
"Huh?" Starwell glanced at the spot where Dot had been a nano again.  
  
AndrAIa sighed. "Here we go," she muttered, placing a hand on her hip. "She probably went back into the control room. Mouse, could you go get her? I'll call the cab."  
  
"Can do."  
  
AndrAIa smirked as Mouse headed off. Starwell watched her go, and then followed the former game sprite as she walked a short distance away. AndrAIa called up a VidWindow to summon a cab, instructing the driver to wait for them just outside the Principal Office. A nano later, the VidWindow vanished and AndrAIa folded her arms. "Hope Mouse doesn't take too long," she said. "The meter is probably already running."  
  
"Does Dot even know how to relax?" Starwell quipped.  
  
"Sometimes I wonder," AndrAIa replied.  
  
"--But Mouse, I still need to calibrate the shipments, and schedule the-"  
  
"That's nice and all, but you need to learn to relax." Mouse was leaving the Principal Office, heading towards AndrAIa and Starwell, holding on to Dot's arm and dragging her. "Sorry we're late!" called Mouse.  
  
AndrAIa smiled. "Alright, everybody get in," she said, gesturing toward the cab.   
  
Starwell took a tentative step toward the cab. She was still trying to get used to flying cars. She hopped into it and scooted over so that AndrAIa could get in next to her.  
  
Once everyone was in the car, the cab driver turned in their direction. He was a One-Shaped binome with a red jacket and a cap on his head. "Where are you ladies headed?" he asked.  
  
"We're going to Maxwell's Club, near the docks," AndrAIa told him.  
  
The driver's single eye blinked a couple of times. His mouth dropped open and a piece of chewing gum fell out. "...If you ladies say so. You look like you can handle your own.” With that he revved the engine, and then they were off.  
  
Starwell stared curiously at the back of his head for a moment, then glanced at the other girls. "So what kind of place is this, anyway?" she asked softly.  
  
"Well, it's run by Maxwell," AndrAIa answered. "He's... well, he used to live in Mainframe's twin city before it was destroyed. He's the only sprite who survived that explosion. But he keeps to his business mostly, and..." She lowered her voice. "Be careful around him. He's... not someone you should turn your back on."  
  
The Cab was partially cramped. Buildings passed outside, and grew few in number until there was a defined view of the Digital Sea.  
  
The Entrance to the club was almost covered in Neon. At the door, stood a bouncer- No. Two bouncers, two 1 version binomes. One standing on the other's head, though neither seemed to notice or care. When the Cab finally pulled to a stop, Starwell leaned forward to peer at the place before them. "Is that it?" she breathed aloud as AndrAIa paid the driver.  
  
"That's it," the driver responded before anyone else could. "Watch yourselves, ladies." He accepted his payment and then gave Starwell a meaningful glance. "Don't let Max get too close to you," he muttered.   
  
"Why not?" Starwell asked warily as she slowly got out of the Cab.   
  
"Oh, wait a nano, I need to go check-"  
  
"Dot..."  
  
Starwell shot Dot a glance as the Cab driver gave them all a wave and began to drive away. Starwell cast a curious glance toward Mouse, and began to move toward the entrance. "Come on," AndrAIa urged Dot and Mouse, and followed Starwell.  
  
The User-Sprite slowly walked past the Bouncers, flinching inwardly as they looked at her. Starwell walked alongside AndrAIa as they entered a hall that lead to the main door. Loud music could be heard emanating from within, which got louder the closer they got.  
  
"Maybe I should have brought earplugs," Starwell muttered, but her voice was lost as AndrAIa opened the door and they stepped inside.  
  
It was a large place with a lot of tables and chairs. Some binomes were seated and chatting or drinking, others were dancing, some were passed out on the floor.   
  
"Uh... wow," was all Starwell said as she entered.  
  
"Let's sit... Here." Mouse gestured to one of the few empty tables, though there seemed to be suspicious stains around it. As the four sprites took their seats, Starwell took care not to touch the table; she kept her hands folded in her lap.  
  
A couple of nanos passed, and a sphere-shaped binome approached them. "Well hello there," she greeted. "May I take your--" Her eyes flickered in recognition. "Oh, it's you," she deadpanned.  
  
"Hello, Cadence," AndrAIa acknowledged.  
  
"You two know each other?" Starwell asked, raising her voice to be heard over the music.  
  
Cadence leaned closer and spoke out of the corner of her mouth. "You didn't bring that boyfriend of yours, did you?"  
  
"No, Matrix isn't here."  
  
The binome gave a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank the User. The last time he was here...." She shook her head.  
  
"What happened?" Starwell asked.  
  
"I think its got something to do with some sort of fight," said Mouse, "I never heard most of the details."

Dot looked away.  
  
The waitress cleared her throat. "Ah, just get us the usual," AndrAIa told the binome, and then Cadence nodded and moved away.  
  
"So how wild does this place get?" Starwell asked, leaning forward slightly. So far she didn't see much except for a lot of drunk binomes, some of them quite noisy.   
  
Perhaps it was due to her shock, hurt and anger over the news that she couldn't go home, but... she simply felt like she didn't want to leave this place without something happening. Even if it was just getting a little drunk.  
  
As if to answer her question, a large figured--someone shaped like a large Nine--was thrown across the bar, landing heavily in the middle of the neighboring table. It fragmented under the impact. Several bouncers immediately responded. Starwell sank a little lower in her seat, staring wide-eyed at the broken table.  
  
"This ain't nothing," said Mouse, "You should see the afternoon rush."  
  
The waitress reappeared a nano later with four drinks, each of which were set in front of each sprite. "Enjoy," was all that Cadence said before she walked away again.  
  
Starwell carefully picked up her glass and sniffed it. She then took a long sip and raised her eyebrows. It actually tasted... somewhat bittersweet. She gulped the rest of it down and began to feel a "buzz" inside her head.  
  
Mouse downed hers, and muttered something about wanting a bottle instead of a glass. Dot took momentary sips, and then asked, "So Starwell, how has Mainframe treated you?"  
  
"I'll get some more," AndrAIa said, already rising. She planned to get a couple of bottles if she could; she headed toward the bar.  
  
"Uh... it's been weird," Starwell admitted straightforwardly. "But I like you guys, and I guess I'm getting used to it."   
  
"That's good." Dot seemed pretty good at holding her alcohol.  
  
Mouse tilted her head, "Quick question, how do you live 16 years and yet act younger than Matrix?"  
  
"Well... uh..." Starwell seemed hesitant. She was afraid that if she explained the truth to them, they might make her leave. She knew her parents, even her Uncle Frank, would kill her if they knew she came to a place like this. Even in the Net. "Users can live about a hundred years," she finally answered. She hoped they wouldn’t ask her to further explain how time worked where she came from.  
  
AndrAIa returned to the table, a bottle in each hand. "Here we go..." She set one bottle down in front of Mouse and Dot, and popped open the other to refill hers and Starwell's glasses.   
  
Dot had that science spark in her eyes as she eyed Starwell.  
  
Mouse was just staring, "...That long huh?" She refilled her and Dot's cups, and downed hers.  
  
Starwell drank down her second glass in a couple of gulps. The "buzz" in her head intensified, and she felt a wave of dizziness wash through her. She felt... odd. Was this what it felt like to be drunk? At least the beginnings of it? "Yeah..." she said, and then she grinned. "I feel funny." Then she guffawed.  
  
Mouse laughed, "Sixteen years, and never even drank before!" She was on her fourth at the moment.  
  
Starwell was grinning. "You know something? Your hair looks like its on fire... all glowy and everything," she said. Then she giggled.  
  
"Heard that before." Mouse glanced skyward as if to roll her eyes, but didn’t quite finish the mannerism. She finished downing her fourth shot.  
  
"Slow down, on the drinking now," said Dot gently.  
  
"Why? I feel great!" Starwell raised her third glass to her lips. After the User took a hearty sip, AndrAIa reached over and placed her fingertips around the rim of Starwell's glass. "Take it easy, Starwell. Set it down, let it breathe."  
  
Starwell lowered her arm shakily--and spilled the contents of her glass on the table. "Oops." She giggled again.  
  
Dot sighed and rose. "I'll get a napkin or something."  
  
Just then someone different headed in their general direction. He was tall and wiry, wearing a black pair of slacks, something that resembled a dark leather jacket, and a white undershirt. When he spotted the female sprites sitting at one of the tables, he smiled in a sleazy sort of way and approached them. "Why hello there," he greeted in a friendly, cheerful fashion. "How are you lovely ladies doing this find second?"  
  
"Just fine, thank you," AndrAIa acknowledged. "How are you, Max?"  
  
"Just fine," Max replied chipperly. "Ah..." His smile became frozen, forced. "Matrix isn't here, is he?" Somehow he spoke without even moving his teeth.  
  
"No, Matrix isn't here," AndrAIa chuckled, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Oh thank the User," Max breathed, and visibly relaxed. "Well now, I recognize our lovely Command Dot Com and the feisty Hacker." He winked flirtatiously at Mouse. "But who is this?" He looked at Starwell.  
  
Max seemed to be avoiding eye contact with AndrAIa. Apparently whatever happened before, when Matrix and AndrAIa had been there, he wasn't taking any chances. Anyone who'd tangoed with Matrix and Gun definitely knew better.  
  
"She's vistin' from another system," said Mouse with a lop sided grin, showing just one fang.  
  
Max didn't take his eyes off the girl. "Well now, she's got a nice bitmap... can't say I've ever seen a young lady like her before." He moved smoothly toward the table and put himself between Starwell and AndrAIa, with his back to the latter. He rested one elbow on the table and smiled down at Starwell. "What's your name, sweetheart?" he asked.  
  
Starwell scooted her chair back a bit, staring at him. She might have been more than a little drunk, but she was still alert enough to get a creepy vibe from him. "Starwell," she said simply, and stared down at the table.  
  
"Starwell... now that is an exotic name if I've ever heard one," Max grinned. "It makes me think of a glimmering goddess, with the beauty and grace of a Game Cube shooting from the sky."  
  
"...You're comparing her looks to a Game Cube?" AndrAIa blinked.  
  
"Games are beautiful, exotic, full of energy and power..." Max sucked in a breath. "I think there's more to this young lady than meets the eye."  
  
"How corny," Mouse emphasized, "And I wouldn't get too flirtatious, I believe Big Brother Wolfy wouldn't like you messing with his Pup."  
  
Max continued to stare at Starwell, though his eyes darted briefly in Mouse's direction. "Big what? What are ya talking about?"  
  
"Starwell is a good friend of Matrix," AndrAIa supplied.  
  
Max's smile once again became frozen. "Oh," he said with a forced chuckle, and moved away from the table as if Starwell was Viral.  
  
"By the way, how's your ASCII?" AndrAIa asked, eyeing him from behind. Max gave her a look, which changed back to a forced, charming smile in a flash.  
  
Starwell's eyes darted around the bar, as though feeling awkward. She refilled her glass, taking extra care to keep her arm steady as not to spill the body. She succeeded, but not without considerable concentration.  
  
"...Here's your napkin," said Dot to Starwell as the sprite returned, "How about you take a quick break from drinking?"  
  
Starwell stubbornly finished downing her fourth drink, then took the napkin. "Yeah.... okay," she finally said. "I do feel... a little... weird." She swayed a bit in her seat, then slumped against it.  
  
"Are you okay, Starwell?" AndrAIa asked.  
  
"Yeah..." Starwell said, staring up at the ceiling. "Just feeling kind of weird. And... I think I see a purple giraffe up there." She giggled, and then cracked up. She suddenly found herself unable to stop laughing.  
  
"Glad to see you ladies are enjoying yourselves," Max said, moving away from the table. "I'll check in again in a while." He winked, and walked away.  
  
Starwell was still laughing.  
  
"... Sly, if I didn't know better, I'd say he was Viral," said Mouse, with a smile that held no amusement.  
  
Starwell finally managed to stop laughing. She opened her mouth to speak, but then quickly clamped her hand over it. She seemed to be trying to prevent another attack of explosive giggles. She tentatively stretched out her free hand, with the napkin, shakily toward the table.  
  
"Here, I'll get that," AndrAIa said, gently taking the napkin from her. She then carefully wiped up the spilled beverage.  
  
"Thanks." Starwell's voice sounded muffled through her hand.  
  
"That was Max, wasn't it?" asked Dot, though by her tone, she knew the answer.  
  
"The one your brother had a run in with," said Mouse.  
  
"Yeah," AndrAIa said with a nod. She eyed the male sprite as he walked back behind his counter. "Looks like he still walks a bit... off."  
  
Starwell was leaning forward on the table with her arms folded in front of her and her chin resting on top of them. "What... what did Matrix do to him?" she slurred with a grin.  
  
"Don't ask," AndrAIa said.  
  
"Did he hurt Max's leg?"  
  
"Not his leg..." AndrAIa smirked. Mouse started laughing. Dot covered her mouth. Starwell released a short fit of giggles, then seemed to compose herself. She looked dizzy, and a bit exhausted.  
  
"Hey... is there a bathroom here?" Starwell gripped the armrests of her chair, standing shakily.  
  
"Hey now, just stand still for a moment before you move." AndrAIa helped the girl stand, and supported her as she leaned against the table.  
  
"Okay..." Starwell took her advice and stood still for a moment. She waited for the waves of dizziness to ease down.   
  
"Well, I ain't leaving you alone," said Mouse, getting up.  
  
"I agree," AndrAIa said. "This is the kind of place where you shouldn't go anywhere alone, Starwell."  
  
"Yeah... okay." Starwell said.  
  
"Can you walk? The restroom is right over there." AndrAIa pointed to a nearby sign.  
  
"Yeah... I think so." Starwell carefully began to walk around the table, keeping one hand on it for support. The moment she let go of the table, she fell against Mouse.  
  
"Don't worry, sugar, I got you."  
  
"Okay..." Starwell breathed deeply in and out as she and the Hacker began to move toward the restrooms. Starwell leaned heavily on Mouse for support. "You are really nice," Starwell said as they moved carefully. "All of you are so nice. Really, really nice..." She chuckled, and then her face fell. "But I.... can't go home." Apparently even the drinks couldn't make her forget that entirely.  
  
"It was Bob who said there's no such thing as the no win scenario," said Mouse, "We'll find a way to get you back."  
  
"You really think so?" Starwell staggered a bit, nearly stumbling over Mouse's shoe. She felt the Hacker gripping her arms, steadying them both. "You really will get me home... won't you? Qsa Linex said she'd wait for me, no matter how long it takes..."  
  
"I don't know who this Quicks person is, but yeah, we'll get you home."  
  
"Oh, she... my Uncle Frank made her. She was so nice." Starwell stumbled a little, and then she wrapped her arms around Mouse in a clumsy hug. "You're really nice, too, Mouse. I like you a lot."   
  
"That's nice, sugar."  
  
Just as they started moving again, a group of binomes began to pour through the side entrance. They were pushing and shoving their way towards the bar, intent on forcing their way through instead of waiting or asking nicely to get through. They weren't nice-looking binomes, either. They had punkish hairstyles and a few of them had odd-looking makeup on their faces. In fact, they looked like some kind of gang.  
  
When they got close to Mouse and Starwell, one of them hit the back of Mouse's leg firmly with a metal crowbar. "Move, lady," the feisty punk snapped.  
  
Mouse sighed. She kicked the binome across the room.


	50. Chapter 50

Unfortunately, the punk's buddies decided to respond to that with more aggression. Several of the other binomes began to gang up around Starwell and Mouse.  
  
"The lady has an attitude," one of the spherical binomes said, holding a long chain between his hands. "I think we need to teach her a lesson, boys."  
  
A female binome cleared her throat. "...And girls," the binome with the chain sighed and rolled his eyes.  
  
Starwell looked up at Mouse, clutching at her form. "They... don't look so nice," she slurred.  
  
Max eyed the commotion from behind the bar, serving a couple of customers. He waved back a couple of bouncers, shaking his head. The bouncers looked confused, but stayed away from the developing ruckus. Max folded his arms and watched silently, waiting to see how this would play out.  
  
From her back, Mouse produced her katana. "Lets hear it boys and girls!"  
  
Starwell gave a startled squeak. "Leave me out of this!" She began to stagger toward the restroom--or perhaps the exit. She couldn't tell exactly where she was going.  
  
One of the binomes tripped the User, which wasn't hard to do in her current state; Starwell went sprawling across the floor.  
  
Meanwhile, seven binomes were going at Mouse. Four from behind, three from the front; one of the managed to get close enough to jump on Mouse's back.  
  
Like the strangely formatted sprite she was, Mouse growled, where it sounded more like a beast than a sprite. She ducked and rolled. A pair of punkish binomes ran after her; one of them raised a chain to strike, aiming it in Mouse's direction. She slashed away with her Katana, but never to delete.  
  
Suddenly, just as a trio of binomes prepared to attack from a different angle, they found themselves knocked off of their feet by a swinging Trident. They were not harmed, simply knocked over.  
  
"Need a hand?" AndrAIa asked.  
  
"Can always use one." Mouse kicked an empty table aside, pining one of the binomes.  
  
A few more binomes were joining in on the fight; some were drunk, a few others just wanted in on the action apparently. One of them grabbed the end of AndrAIa's trident. She smirked, then gave her weapon a thrust. The binome went flying across the bar due to the sudden momentum.  
  
Then the former game sprite swung around and sucker-punched another binome who was getting too close, knocking him right into the punk behind him; both of them fell down.  
  
"Couldn't let you have all the fun without me," AndrAIa said.  
  
"Hi-ya!" A binome was sent flying.  
  
"I can't believe you guys started a fight!" said Dot, as she kicked away another binome.  
  
"Couldn't stay away from the fun?" AndrAIa asked as she slammed a large Number Nine against the wall. "Matrix is going to be so jealous when he hears he missed this!" With a swing of her boot another binome went sailing through the air.  
  
Mouse knocked away, another binome when Dot said something that froze her.  
  
"Where's Starwell?"  
  
AndrAIa threw a binome into three others, knocking them over like bowling pins. Then she froze as well.  
  
"I don't know." Her eyes widened slightly.

0o0o0o0o0o0

  
Meanwhile, back at the Principal Office, Gizmo and Glitch were swirling around in the middle of an energy vortex, recharging. They were almost completely recharged, and it was a good thing too; Gizmo was getting on Glitch's last nerve.  
  
However, Gizmo suddenly ceased its annoying chatter as it detected something... off. It remained uncharacteristically silent for several nanos.  
  
Then suddenly, Gizmo was practically shrieking. [DANGER. DANGER. STARWELL!] The beeps were barely coherent as Gizmo flung itself out of the energy vortex and went clattering on the floor.  
  
"What in the Net-?" Bob exclaimed.  
  
Gizmo was still shrieking. Its beeps and clicks were so rapid that even Glitch couldn't quite keep up with what it was trying to say. [STARWELL DANGER--SOMETHING NOT RIGHT--STARWELL--MUST GET TO--DANGER--] It came out in a jumble, though Glitch managed to pass on the gist of it.  
  
"...Starwell?" Bob snatched both Glitch and Gizmo, "Where?!" His Guardian sense was tingling. Gizmo began indicating a direction, somewhere outside the Principal Office. With Bob running by with Gizmo leading the way, along with the sense of urgency, Matrix followed.  
  
Once they were outside, the sprites threw out their Zip Boards and jumped onto them. Within moments they were speeding in the direction Gizmo indicated, pressing their zip boards at a speed faster than they were designed to travel.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Mouse cursed, and threw a binome to the side, "I'm headin'-" She was promptly knocked out by a flying chair.  
  
AndrAIa swore. The place was getting rowdier and more wild by the nano. "Dot!" she yelled. "Get Mouse out of here--I'll look around for Starwell!" The former game sprite's fist connected solidly with a Number Three program who'd charged toward her.  
  
Dot lifted up the unconscious Hacker, "Be careful!"  
  
AndrAIa tumbled head over heels to avoid the heart of the brawl. Even as she moved she began to wonder where in the Net the bouncers were; usually they would have made a move to restore order long before this point. Where were they?  
  
She had half a mind to have a word with Max about it later. He might have been a sleazebag, but even he shouldn't want such a ruckus going on his place...  
  
She froze. She glanced sharply toward the bar; Maxwell was nowhere in sight. Nor were most of the bouncers. But what did that mean?  
  
AndrAIa did another visual sweep of the area, then decided it was time to get out of there. Things were getting wilder and wilder and, without the bouncers doing their job or any kind of backup, it was foolhardy to stay even just to look around.  
  
What she needed was to fall back... and there needed to be a plan.  
  
Speaking of which...  
  
AndrAIa maneuvered through the crowd and went out the door, where Dot had hauled Mouse's offline form. "Dot!' AndrAIa called out as she ran up to her.  
  
"What is it?!" Dot snapped.  
  
"Dot, I didn't see Max or any of his guards inside," AndrAIa said urgently. "I don't know what's going on, but that seems pretty suspicious to me."  
  
Their heads turned in the opposite direction from the club as they spotted two forms approaching on zip boards. Bob set his zip board down near the female sprites; Matrix jumped off of his and landed roughly on his feet, bending his knees to absorb the impact. It appeared that the Renegade had performed that kind of landing before.  
  
“Where’s Starwell?” Bob asked.  
  
“We don’t know,” Dot answered.  
  
“I was taking her toward the restroom, and then--” Mouse began.  
  
Matrix didn’t even listen to the rest of her sentence. He had already dashed past them, into the club with Gun in hand.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Maxwell set Starwell's unconscious form on the ground floor within the club’s smallest restroom. He grinned and rubbed his hands together. This was going to be just perfect. With six of his best bouncers standing outside to make sure no one interfered, he would get even with Matrix by having a little fun with his little friend....  
  
Maxwell tapped his Icon, changing into something more casual, more comfortable. He grinned as he overheard one of his bouncers outside the door whispering. "Do you think the boss will give us a turn when he's done with her?" the guard was saying.  
  
"Maybe if she's not too... spent," Max muttered, chuckling under his breath at the thought. He slowly knelt down next to the girl, making himself comfortable. He would take it slow; he had all the time in the Net, most likely.  
  
Especially with six guards standing outside the door.  
  
"Now, sweetheart," Max crooned as he began running his fingers down her arm, "we're gonna have some fun."  
  
Something exploded. Max froze. His eyes flew absolutely wide. On impulse he snatched the girl up into his arms and began to back away from the door. If someone was outside, if someone was coming... they might not shoot at him if he was holding the girl.  
  
Especially if it was a certain green sprite with a certain Gun. Hopefully that thought was just him being paranoid, though... he wouldn't put it past the big brute to somehow find out about this, and to find him.  
  
The fighting stopped. There was a large hole in the ceiling, bits of rubble here and there. Two sprites came from the hole. One of them landed on a table, while the other went for the girls. The one on table had a Gun in his hand. "MAXWELL!"  
  
"H-h-hey now!" Max held Starwell more tightly against his chest as he backed up a bit more. "Back off! I ain't done nothing to the girl! But I will if you don't stay back!"  
  
Nearby, something was chirping and beeping a lot. It sounded like a Keytool.  
  
Matrix broke down the bathroom door. The rage on his face was indescribable.  
  
Max stared. He suddenly found himself unable to breath. He couldn't even swallow; his mouth had gone completely dry. He clutched the girl more tightly. Right at the moment, she was the only thing that might prevent the severe pounding he was going to receive... or at least delay it.  
  
"Gun, target. Command: Full Delete." Matrix's eye began to glow red.  
  
Maxwell began to shake violently as a red target appeared in the middle of his forehead.   
  
"I didn't hurt her," Max whimpered once he found his voice. "So we're good, r-right M-Matrix?" He grinned feebly.  
  
"Huh?" Starwell groaned, blinking a bit as she regained consciousness. "What happened?"  
  
"I know what you intended," Matrix growled.  
  
"Oh come now," Max forced a laugh, "what could I possibly want to do to this sweet little thing? I only brought her in here to keep her safe." He pointed, "Didn't you see the ruckus out there? You wouldn't want to see her trampled or knocked offline. I rescued her from that before anything could happen to her!"  
  
Matrix took a step forward, "Hand her over."  
  
"Just stay away from me, man." Max pressed his lips into a thin line.   
  
"Hand. Her. Over."  
  
For exactly a nano and a half, Max remained absolutely frozen. Then in the very next instant he literally threw the girl at Matrix, then ran past the sprite and toward the doorway.  
  
Matrix had to dive to catch her. He caught her, but in the process slid and smacked his head against the nearby wall. The wall cracked in response. Starwell cried out softly in response to the sudden movement. "Ugh..." she groaned, raising an arm to reach feebly at nothing. "I don't feel so good..."  
  
Three sprites, plus an unconscious Hacker, entered the bathroom. Most of them in a huff of worry. Mouse was being half-carried, half-dragged by Dot. AndrAIa stepped forward first. "Matrix, what happened? Starwell, are you okay?"  
  
"I think I'm gonna..." Starwell lurched, and then her stomach emptied its contents all over Matrix's leg.  
  
"Well, we'll have to get you cleaned up," said Dot.  
  
Gizmo went flying away from Bob and immediately re-attached itself to Starwell's arm. It beeped a series of sounds. "Oh... hi Gizmo. Yeah... I'm okay. Not sure... where I am..." Starwell's head slumped against Matrix as she passed out.  
  
"Let's get them out of here," said Bob.  
  
AndrAIa held out her hand and helped Matrix to his feet. Dot was supporting the unconscious Mouse, and Bob stooped down to scoop the offline Starwell into his arms.  
  
"I don't think we should come back here anytime soon," AndrAIa commented, casting a wary glance at Starwell. "Is she alright?" she asked Bob.  
  
"How much did she drink?" Bob was looking at Glitch, analyzing her vitals.  
  
"Four glasses," AndrAIa supplied. "Bob, she's sixteen years old, but apparently she's never drank before." She had a look of concern on her face, though she eyed Bob for a reaction to this revelation.  
  
"Well, she does behave like a 100 version," said Bob, "I guess time runs differently, like in the Games."  
  
"Hmm, that's what she said." AndrAIa touched her chin. None of them had ever conceived of someone living much beyond a year. The very idea of an entity living sixteen years and still being young… that was a new one on everybody.   
  
"So is she alright?" AndrAIa asked after a nano.  
  
"Drunk. Very, very drunk. Lets get her back to her room, she's going to need to sleep this off. Also, energy, both liquid and solid forms, she'll need plenty of it."  
  
AndrAIa exchanged looks of concern with Dot. "We shouldn't have brought her here," the former Game sprite sighed, looking guilty and a little ashamed. "It was my idea, too..."  
  
Gizmo was beeping. [Glitch, have Bob tell Matrix that I detect Maxwell hiding in his bar if Matrix wants to sucker-punch him.] Something about Gizmo's "tone" made it clear that if Matrix didn't, Gizmo itself might. Gizmo did not want Max to get off so easily after what he tried to do to its User.  
  
"...Delete him later." Matrix said after the message was passed to him. He did not sound so good.  
  
"Come on, Enzo, let's get you out of here." AndrAIa placed her hand on Matrix's arm.


	51. Chapter 51

Outside the bathroom, the bouncers had finally gotten the ruckus under control. It seemed like nearly every table and chair in the place was knocked over; some of them were broken, even shattered.  
  
A few of the waiters and waitresses were already starting to clean the place up, even as the bouncers forcefully escorted the remaining rowdies out the door.  
  
Maxwell huddled behind the bar, hidden under the counter between two large, unopened crates of bottles. He hugged his knees against his chest and whimpered fearfully like a frightened girl.  
  
Matrix gave a sneer as they passed, for good measure.  
  
Gizmo made the Keytool equivalent of a grumble. It wasn't satisfied with simply leaving... even if part of it felt that the trashed club was probably punishment enough. It would cost Maxwell considerable time and Units to get the place back in order.  
  
Gizmo left Starwell's arm and flew toward the counter. It then hovered there for a long moment, somewhere above Maxwell, as if trying to make a decision.  
  
AndrAIa cocked her head to one side. "What's that Keytool doing?" she murmured to Matrix and Bob.  
  
"Gizmo, no-" Bob began, but it was too late.  
  
There was a sudden noise (mostly an emulation, thankfully) like a gun going off, directly above Max. The sprite screamed like a banshee and jumped out of his hiding place. He moved so quickly that he slammed his shoulder against one of his shelves; a row of bottles rolled off as he stumbled.  
  
One by one, six bottles smashed into his head, each one shattering as it did so. Max collapsed, unconscious in a midst of broken glass and spilled booze. Gizmo sang out in an almost musical series of clicks and whirs. In the Keytool language, it was laughing. Apparently satisfied, it returned to Starwell's arm.  
  
Matrix managed to chuckle, and leaned heavily onto AndrAIa. AndrAIa supported him, wrapping an arm around his waist. Soon they were outside. Dot, who was still supporting Mouse, called up a VidWindow to call another cab for them all.   
  
Then all they could do was wait.  
  
Starwell stirred again in Bob's arms. "I thought I heard... a noise," she murmured, dazed. "Sounded like thunder..." Gizmo beeped proudly. "Mmm..." Starwell groaned and rested her head against Bob's chest. "What do you mean that was you?" Gizmo beeped again. "...Whatever..."  
  
Black spots danced in Matrix's eyes, and they only grew as he tried to blink them away. He tried to rub his eyes, but his arm was sluggish. He collapsed. AndrAIa knelt down beside him. "Rest easy, Lover," she said. "I'll get you back to your room."  
  
A couple of nanos later, the Cab arrived. With some effort, the three conscious sprites managed to get the unconscious ones seated and then they strapped themselves in.  
  
It wasn't long before they arrived at the Principal Office. By that point, Mouse was coming to.  
  
"Glad you're awake," AndrAIa said to Mouse, "we just got back to the Principal Office. How're you feeling?"  
  
"...Like I got hit by an ABC," Mouse blinked, "Why's Bob and Matrix with us, and what is wrong with Matrix?"  
  
"Let's just say Maxwell decided to make a move on Starwell," AndrAIa replied. "Gizmo sensed that she was in danger. Then Bob and Matrix came running."  
  
Gizmo beeped.  
  
"...Right." Mouse rubbed her temples, grunting in discomfort.  
  
"...I'm getting a headache," Starwell complained to no one in particular.  
  
AndrAIa was already stepping out of the cab. She shook Matrix's shoulder. "Come on, Sparky. Can you get up or do I have to drag you?"  
  
The others were already out of the cab; Starwell continued to complain about a headache as Bob picked her up again.   
  
Matrix's head lulled to the side.  
  
"Dot, give me a hand here would you?" AndrAIa asked.  
  
"Sure. Mouse, think you can stand?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Dot and AndrAIa managed to haul Matrix out of the cab and they each draped one of his arms over one of their shoulders. "Come on," Dot said, "let's get him into the Principal Office."  
  
Matrix's head hung forward as his sister and girlfriend half-dragged, half-carried him across the floor into the Principal Office. His boots dragged against the ground as he was moved. Once they set him down on a bench in the waiting area inside, Dot sat beside him as AndrAIa walked off. "Enzo?" Dot only called her big brother by that name in private these days. When he didn't respond, she wondered if they should take him to the med-room.  
  
It wouldn't be the first time...  
  
Then AndrAIa returned with a tall glass of energy. The glass was lightly frosted, indicating that the beverage within was ice-cold.  
  
"Allow me," the former Game sprite said as she sat down next to Matrix.  
  
"What's that for?" Dot asked. This hardly seemed like the time to stop for a drink, no matter how good it looked.  
  
"It's for Matrix," AndrAIa answered matter-of-factly.  
  
"He's not in any shape to drink right now, AndrAIa."  
  
"Oh, not to drink." AndrAIa flashed a small, sweet, mischievous smile. "Rise and shine, Sparky!" She poured the ice-cold beverage all over his head and face, hoping the shock of it would wake him up. It had worked once before.  
  
Matrix sputtered and jerked, but he didn't make moves to rising quickly. His eyes opened, unfocused, and blinked. "...I've already been thrown up on, you didn't need to do that..."  
  
"Just trying to get you back online, Lover," AndrAIa said with a little wink.  
  
"If you're sure you're okay, I need to get back to the control room," Dot said, already rising. "I think all of us have had enough diversion for one second."  
  
"...Need a shower..."  
  
Dot squeezed his shoulder. "You can use one of the showers at the back of the Principal Office."  
  
"I'll help him get there," AndrAIa said.  
  
Dot nodded. "See you both later." She smiled, and then she was gone.  
  
"Come on, Sparky." AndrAIa gave Matrix's arm a gentle tug.  
  
"Yeah.... Coming."  
  
AndrAIa helped him to his feet, then she slipped an arm around his waist. "Come on, one step at a time," she urged, already moving forward with him.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile Bob was headed down the corridor toward Starwell's room, carrying the User-Sprite gently in his arms.  
  
Mouse walked with him, having nothing else better to do at the moment. She rubbed the back of her head warily; it still hurt, but she knew she would be fine. "I suppose we shoulda realized she was a bit young for this," Mouse was saying, her voice full of regret. Gizmo hissed at the Hacker, as if agreeing with that sentiment. "Didn't mean any harm... I was just trying to help her forget her troubles." Mouse hung her head.  
  
"Just be careful next time," said Bob, "I know she's a User, and I know that she's probably far beyond the age of a System, but she's still a kid."  
  
They reached Starwell's room and went inside. "Yeah, she certainly appears to be," Mouse mused aloud as Bob set the girl down on her bed. "Tell ya what, I'll go get her some energy. Make sure she doesn't wander off."  
  
"Go ahead," Bob gave a tired smile.  
  
"Be back in a flash," Mouse winked, and then she was gone.  
  
Starwell stirred on her bed. She managed to roll over onto her side, as if seeking a more comfortable position. "My head hurts..." she grunted, pressing her head against the pillow.  
  
Gizmo chirped. She grimaced. "Do you have to use that pitch when you talk?" she grunted, rubbing her temples. Then she squinted upward. She saw a figure standing over her bed.  
  
"Bob...? What…” Her words caught in her parched throat. She licked her lips in an attempt to moisten her mouth and attempted to swallow. “What happened...?"  
  
"You got drunk," Bob gave a knowing look, "Always sucks the first time."  
  
"Yeah..." Starwell made an attempt to sit up. Then her head exploded, figuratively. She groaned and let herself go limp against the pillow again.  
  
"Matrix..." Starwell sucked in a deep breath, licked her lips, then tried speaking again. "Matrix said... that I can't go home." She looked up feebly at Bob. "Please tell me I was just dreaming," she whispered.  
  
"I'm sorry," Bob said sympathetically, "I'm so, so sorry."  
  
Starwell stared up at him for a moment. "Then... it wasn't a dream." It was more a statement than a question. She sighed. Now she was really beginning to understand why some of her friends and classmates looked like hell after they went out partying. She felt like hell. "Bob... am I gonna have to spend the rest of my life in Mainframe?" She closed her eyes.  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
"Yeah. Well." Starwell sighed again. "I guess I should prepare for... the possibility."  
  
Gizmo was beeping, but not at Starwell. [Glitch, do you have any ideas? Can we get her Home somehow?]  
  
"Don't worry. We'll get you home, I promise."  
  
[It is being worked on,] came Glitch’s reply to Gizmo.  
  
Despite feeling physically ill and emotionally down, Starwell moved just enough to give Bob a meaningful look. "Just make sure you're not just saying that," she warned. "I was always taught... not to make promises you can't keep."  
  
[Being worked on?] Gizmo queried to Glitch. [Elaborate. How is it being worked on?]  
  
[It is being worked on.]  
  
"I can keep it." Bob was sincere.  
  
[Glitch, have I told you that you are the most annoying Keytool to talk to in Mainframe?]  
  
Starwell was ignoring the two Keytools and their beeping. She stared into space for a long moment, then she gave a slight nod. "Somehow... I believe you, Bob." Perhaps it was his sincerity. He really seemed to believe it.  
  
"You need to get some rest."  
  
"Yeah... I am kinda tired."  
  
[Come on, Glitch. Aren't you the one who said a User could be trouble in the Net? You should be more than happy to help Starwell find a way home if that's really how you feel.]  
  
Starwell groaned. "Shut up already, Gizmo."  
  
[Things take time,] Glitch said reasonably. Starwell was already dozing off.  
  
[Time?] Gizmo exclaimed. [How much time is required when a depressed, lost girl just wants to go home?]  
  
[However long it does.]  
  
[Not good enough,] Gizmo hissed. In truth, the Keytool knew that Glitch was speaking the truth. It was, however, a more emotional entity; it needed to vent. [You said that she is a dangerous anomaly in the Net. Do I need to list all of the things that the Net has done to her? Glitch, she has been emotionally distressed in a number of different ways, and she was nearly assaulted a short while ago.]  
  
[There isn't anything that you can do at the moment. It is being worked on.]  
  
Bob let out a breath.  
  
Mouse re-entered the room just then with a tray containing a glass of liquid energy and a bowl of energy chips. The Hacker immediately noticed that the girl was drifting off. She silently set the tray down on a table near the bed. "I'll just leave this here," Mouse said. "It'll be here when she wakes up..." She raised an orange brow at the Keytools.  
  
"What are they going on about?" she asked Bob with a slight shrug.  
  
"Arguing, again," said Bob, "It’s awkward, I've never seen Keytools argue with each other."  
  
"Huh. Well... we both know that Starwell isn't your average sprite," Mouse pointed out. "So it likely follows that Gizmo isn't your average Keytool."  
  
[Glitch, give me a specific example of how this problem is being worked on. Otherwise, I will not believe that you or anyone else cares enough about the matter,] Gizmo was saying.  
  
[Security changes for the system every nano, several thousand times. We are trying to crack it, either slow down the changing or trying a partial rewrite.]  
  
[...Alright,] Gizmo finally relented, partially satisfied. [Hopefully a breakthrough will be established soon.]  
  
Mouse looked intrigued. "I must admit I almost wish I could understand their language," she mused, touching her chin thoughtfully.  
  
"You might use it for something," Bob said playfully.  
  
Mouse laughed. She seemed about to say something more, but then she glanced at Starwell. "So how's the kid?" she asked. "Heh, funny calling someone who's sixteen years old a kid..."  
  
"Sleeping. Reminds me of this one Guardian Cadet I met when I was assigned to Mainframe. She was impulsive, rash, and didn't know what in the Net she was doing, most of us are like that when we start out."  
  
"Yeah. I remember getting into a few scrapes when I was that age... even younger, actually," Mouse said with a wink. "Anyway I should be going. Take care, Bob."  
  
“You too, Mouse.”   
  
Mouse gave him a half-fanged smile and left the room.  
  
[Tell your Guardian to get out,] Gizmo told Glitch grumpily. [Starwell needs undisturbed rest.]  
  
[He isn't disturbing anyone.]  
  
[But why is he still here?] Gizmo growled. It simply felt moody. It was still upset over the recent turn of events (not to mention the fact that Starwell had left the Principal Office and gone into danger with it present).   
  
[Being alert.]  
  
[Well his presence isn't needed. I am alert, and Starwell is asleep.]  
  
[You can only do so much.]  
  
[Oh really? What can a Guardian do that a Keytool cannot? Especially,] Gizmo added with obvious pride, [a User's Keytool?]  
  
[Give complex commands. Know what they are doing more than half the time.]  
  
[In case you haven't noticed, I can operate without commands whenever I choose, even if I am bound to my User. Therefore who is the superior Keytool, hmm?]  
  
[The one that isn't claiming superiority.]  
  
[How dare you--!] Gizmo left Starwell's arm and hovered a few inches away from Bob's arm, beeping the Keytool equivalent of profanities at Glitch.  
  
And Bob snatched Gizmo from the air. "Enough of that."   
  
Gizmo chirped innocently. If a Keytool could smile sweetly up at a Guardian in its default form, Gizmo would have.   
  
Bob gave a stern look at the Keytool, "You are being more of a disruption than I am."  
  
Gizmo made a plaintive sound. [Sorry.] With that it freed itself from Bob's grasp and returned to Starwell's arm, quietly. After that, all was peaceful within Starwell’s room.  
  
Bob lingered for a bit longer before he was called away to another matter; apparently a tear had appeared in a nearby town. Since it was his responsibility as a Guardian to mend tears, he immediately went on his way.


	52. Chapter 52

Rogue Guardian Anna Code had taken enough time to mull things over. She had done her best to think of every angle, every counter-argument, every moral and ethical standpoint… almost to the point of driving herself crazy. If she wasn’t crazy already.  
  
She ended up moving around very slowly, eyeing a few of the “toys” that the Megabyte Virus had mentioned. Part of her screamed in protest, knowing that the Phoenix Infection could have harmed a lot of people and even damaged the city.   
  
Plus… some nagging part of her processor reminded her that in a way, it was her fault that a sector in Mainframe got nullified. If she hadn’t caused the chaos that kept Mainframe’s best defenders busy, at least one of them would have been there to win that game.  
  
Anna clutched at her chest momentarily, breathing deeply. Guilt was something she had never been able to handle very well, especially if something horrible truly was her fault. Her best remedy for guilt was to tell herself that it wasn’t only her fault. It was the Mainframer’s fault, too; they shouldn’t have taken User Starwell into their circle of friends, and they should have been more diligent about the Phoenix and about the game.  
  
To Anna, the feeling that she wasn’t the sole person to blame was enough to lessen the guilt and harden her heart enough to do the unthinkable; work with a virus using another virus’s gadgets. “Anytime more than one person is involved,” she whispered to herself, “it’s no longer the sole responsibility of the individual who started it. I may have released the Phoenix, but it was their own job to stop it in time.”  
  
She smiled wickedly as another thought came to her. Wasn’t Bob the one who told her that he was okay with Mainframe harboring viruses, and that a virus had cured the entire Net once? Well, that might be so (and it was extremely fortunate in that case) but in her own opinion… it was time to teach Bob a lesson. To get him to stop being so idealistic.   
  
He might be older than her, more experienced, and a good personal friend of Turbo, but… Anna Code thought they were both complete fools. The User-Sprite needed to be eliminated, and none of these virus-loving fools would see that.  
  
“Still,” she murmured grimly to herself, “my oath still stands. If I end up doing massive or irreparable harm to this city… I will do my best to make it right once the User is dealt with. Even if I have to sacrifice myself to do so.”  
  
Anna knelt down to gather up a few of the… trinkets that were lying about. She gathered them up, uncertain quite what they were, and put them into a pouch that she found on the floor. A cold shivered rippled through her bitmap as she handled each one, as if the dormant virus “toys” emanated malice even before they were activated.  
  
“Better be very careful with these,” she murmured to herself. She glanced around briefly, momentarily wondering where Megabyte was.  
  
"Ah, Miss Code, I see you have found some of my sister's... little toys." The presence had simply appeared without announcing itself. The voice was followed by a few footfalls as he moved nearer to the Guardian.  
  
She didn’t even glance up or turn around. "Yes, I have," Anna said icily. She tucked the sack of items under her right arm... as Cappaten squawked a protest on her left arm. "Silence," she ordered it.  
  
It gave one final beep before falling silent. Keytools had intelligence and, even if it was bonded to the Rogue Guardian, it had not approved of her attitude or actions for some time.  
  
"Good, very good.,” Megabyte said approvingly.  
  
"I must have a glitched processor for even considering this," Anna said, turning toward the virus and clenching her fists at her sides.  
  
"But..." She sighed. "What, exactly, is the plan now?" she asked.  
  
"Now?" There was a deep chuckle, "You have fun."  
  
Anna scowled. "So you're going to leave me to do all the grunt work," she accused. "What're you going to be doing?"   
  
Cappaten let out a sound that seemed... decidedly like a warning. "I told you to be quiet," Anna said, ignoring it mostly.  
  
"Come now, Miss Code, who ever said that fun was grunt work?"  
  
Anna rolled her eyes. "Just give me a little time to finish a couple of things," she said, already turning away. "Whatever you're going to do... you better be ready to live up to your end of the bargain."  
  
Anna Code heard Megabyte say nothing else, perhaps because there was nothing else for The Attention to say. She was distinctly aware of him watching her as she walked away, as if his gaze was a haunting feature that could penetrate the core of her programming.   
  
She resisted a shudder. Oh, she hated him. She wanted to delete him, and her Guardian Code demanded that she not go along with this. But she had already come this far; she might as well see it through.  
  
After all, the User was the most dangerous thing of all, and… Alpha Starwell needed to pay for what she’d done. Anna had no idea whether Megabyte was following her or not, although she did get the general idea that he’d keep up with her progress and activities regardless. She tried to push that out of her mind as she walked away from the old virus lair.  
  
She got onto her zip board, preparing to fly into the city. She ended up pausing on the way, however. She spotted something on the ground below her… a familiar sight. Anna felt a pain in her chest when she recognized the camp site. It was where Miss Cookie and Dana Line had camped with her, before… she unleashed the Phoenix Infection that destroyed them.   
  
She set down next to the camp site, hopping off of her Zip Board and kneeling next to the tent. She bowed her head in a kind of… reverence of their memory. She did not consider them friends, but they had been companions from her System.  
  
Dana Line was a standard Search Engine, much like any of her kind. But Miss Cookie had owed her existence to the creation of Alpha Starwell, since her function and format required her to keep tabs on the User if Starwell got lost. Even if, ironically, the tracking cookie didn’t even believe Starwell was a real User. Miss Cookie always seemed to feel that Starwell was simply a very sophisticated program.  
  
“Idiots, all of them,” Anna spat. “Everybody’s got the wrong idea about Users. They either don’t believe they’re real, or they have stupid ideas about them, or…” She glared in the direction of the city. “They take foolish risks if they do happen to get one.”  
  
She eyed the sack she carried almost mischievously, a impish glint forming in her eye. “I’ll get her,” she vowed once again.  
  
Cappaten gave a few beeps. This time, what it said caused Anna to raise her eyebrows and slowly turn to regard the Keytool.  
  
“What in the Net are you talking about?” Anna demanded, slightly horrified and rather startled. “You wouldn’t dare!”   
  
Cappaten flashed and whirred. [Try me.]  
  
“You’re crazy,” Anna snapped, shaking off the matter. “We’re joined to each other. You couldn’t leave me even if you wanted to.” She scowled. “You’re the one who chose me, you know.”  
  
The Keytool gave no reply.  
  
Anna sighed. She realized she was very tired. She then decided to rest for a while, so she reached into her provision back and devoured some energy food. Then… despite the fact that it made her feel like she was walking on ghosts, she crawled into the tent and curled up to rest.  
  
She had a feeling she would need a few nanos of sleep before things got… crazy. She would need to get as much rest as possible and keep her wits about her.  
  
Because… eventually she might end up having to deal with Megabyte after she had Starwell, if the Mainframers couldn’t handle the Trojan by themselves.  
  
However, her attempted slumber was short-lived, for a System Announcement blared as the sky turned black:  
  
“WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME.”  
  
Anna’s eyes snapped open and she sat up, throwing the covers aside. “Curse all of the Users!” she snarled as she whipped open the tent flap and ran outside. She gazed toward the sky in an attempt to pinpoint the incoming Game Cube visually.  
  
“Cappaten,” she snapped, raising her arm to her face, “show me where the Game is going to land.” Her eyes suddenly went wide when she looked more closely at her wrist. The Keytool was no longer there.  
  
Where had it gone? Did Megabyte take it, or had something else happened to it?  
“Cappaten!” she called out, hurrying out of the tent and looking around. “Cappaten, return!” She extended her left arm. There was no response.  
  
Anna frowned. Did Megabyte take the Keytool for some reason? Or had it followed through on its threat to leave her if she “didn’t start acting like a proper Guardian”? She stared at her arm. She felt… empty, like a piece of her was missing. Once a Guardian and a Keytool joined, the Guardian would always feel incomplete without it.   
  
In a way, part of her was missing now. Cappaten had part of her code. It… hurt. But the pain quickly turned into indignant fury.  
  
“Fine,” she growled, once again snatching up the satchel that contained the virus trinkets. “You want to turn your back on me, too? I’ll do this alone, then!” She now felt as though everyone who could possibly turn against her had done so. Well, if everyone wanted to be that stupid and blind, maybe it was just as well that she had turned to a virus for help. At least he was willing to do what needed to be done.  
  
A price needed to be paid, after all; the User would pay that price, one way or another, for all of the suffering caused throughout the Net.  
  
She threw out a zip board and began to proceed toward the Game Cube; there was still time to reach it. “Not behaving like a ‘proper Guardian’, huh? Behaving ‘erratically and glitched’?” She clenched her hands into fists as she maneuvered through the city. “I’ll take care of this game, and I’ll show you what kind of Guardian I am!”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Matrix felt a bit more energized after his shower. If nothing else, the warm energy flowing over his muscles soothed his Bitmap like a comforting salve. Afterward that was over he got a bite to eat in the mess hall along with an energy drink, and then his form slumped over the table as his forehead rested atop the smooth surface. It had been a while since he’d fallen asleep anywhere like that, but in this instance he did.  
  
However, his slumber only last a shorted while. There was always one thing that could always get his attention no matter what he was doing, a single sentence that could stir him from the deepest sleep.  
  
“WARNING, INCOMING GAME.”  
  
His eyes snapped open and his head snapped up. For a mere instant he was a teenager again, lost in a system where he and AndrAIa had been forced to wait a couple of Minutes for another Game Cube to drop. His first instinct was to search the room and locate AndrAIa and Frisket so they wouldn’t miss the next Game Cube.  
  
Then he remembered where he was and what he’d been doing. He grunted, pushed himself out of his chair, and headed for the door.  
  
Moments later he was outside the Principal Office, where he spotted Bob already flying toward the incoming cube. He immediately moved forward on his zip board to catch up with his friend.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
  
Starwell awoke after a little while with a splitting headache. She couldn’t remember feeling so sick to her stomach before. Gizmo began chirping at her almost immediately.  
  
“Ugh…” Starwell groaned, burrowing her face into her pillow. “Stop it. You sound like an alarm or something.” The Keytool fell silent for a nano. Then it attempted to chirp more softly, insisting that she consume the energy Mouse had left her.  
  
Starwell eyed the food and drink. Then she squeezed her eyes shut. “If I eat that I’m gonna throw up.” She groaned. “I might throw up anyway.”  
  
[You need to eat!] Gizmo persisted. [You need energy!]  
  
“…Stop trying to sound like my mother.”  
  
Gizmo beeped a few more times. When Starwell ignored it, the Keytool left her arm and floated out of the room. A few nanos later Gizmo re-entered the room with a familiar sprite in tow. “Now what’s all this about?” Mouse asked as she stepped inside.  
  
Starwell groaned. She then pried her face away from her pillow and peered up at the Hacker. “Gizmo wants me to eat, I guess,” she grumbled. Her voice was muffled, as half her face was still pressed against the pillow.  
  
“Well, you do need to eat, Sweetie.” Mouse sat down on the edge of Starwell’s bed.  
  
“I can’t. I’m gonna be sick.”  
  
“You’re gonna feel even worse if ya don’t.” Mouse reached over and took the tray from the nightstand. “I brought ya some slow energy to make sure it goes down nice and easy. Just eat and drink slowly and ya should be fine.”   
  
Starwell’s only response was a groan.  
  
“Come on, Starwell.” Mouse gently touched the girl’s shoulder. “You need energy, Honey.”  
  
It took a few more nanos of coaxing, but Starwell was finally persuaded to sit up and begin to eat. The main selling point was when Gizmo threatened to screech shrilly, non-stop, until she did.  
  
“I am feeling better, I think,” Starwell remarked when she was half-way finished with the meal. She then took a long, slow sip of her energy beverage.  
  
“Told ya,” Mouse smiled with a re-assuring wink. “It takes a while to learn to hold your alcohol. And it’s not a good idea for young people to drink so much, so fast,” she added in a consider this a lesson kind of tone.  
  
Starwell made a face as she took another sip. “I’m not a little kid,” she said defensively. “I just wanted to see the place you guys were talking about.”  
  
“Well, it’s not like you lied,” Mouse allowed, “at least as far as I can tell. I probably shoulda figured time works differently…” She glanced toward the ceiling. “…Out there, than it does in the Net. Kinda like it does in games.”  
  
Starwell nodded slowly. At least the gesture didn’t make her head hurt as bad; that was a good sign. “Yeah, I am sixteen years old. But a lot of teenagers my age drink. They’re not supposed to, but they do it anyway.”  
  
“As long as ya learn and act on what ya learn, that’s the important thing,” Mouse replied with a shrug. “I can tell you have a good head on your shoulders, Starwell. Ya just gotta learn to use it.”  
  
Starwell had her mouth full of the remainder of her energy chips. She chewed carefully, not even making an attempt to reply.  
  
“Anyhow,” Mouse went on, tilting her head to one side, “I am still curious how time works in your world.”  
  
Starwell swallowed her mouthful and then finished draining her glass. The headache was mostly gone now and her body felt somewhat refreshed. “Well… for us, a second is a very, very short time,” she finally explained. “Like… it only lasts the blink of an eye, more or less.”  
  
“A second in your world passes that quickly?” Mouse looked astonished as she pondered that.  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Then ya probably haven’t been gone very long at all, from their point of view,” Mouse muse.  
  
“Yeah…” Starwell wasn’t sure whether that thought was a comforting relief, or just plain depressing.  
  
However, a System Announcement cut off any further conversation in that area.  
  
“WARNING: INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME.”  
  
“Oh brother,” Starwell grumbled. “Not another one! That makes four since I’ve been here!”  
  
“Bob or someone else will take care of it, Sugar,” Mouse said with confidence. “And it’s normal to see Game Cubes every few cycles.” She tilted her head. “How often did you play games when you were outside the Net?”  
  
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Starwell grimaced. She frowned and took a slow, deep breath. Then she stood.  
  
“Where are ya going?” Mouse asked.  
  
Starwell looked at her. “I… I want to help with this game!” She began to move toward the door.  
  
“Now Honey, wait a microsecond--”  
  
“Mouse, I gotta go!” Starwell insisted, hesitating long enough to turn and look at her. Her eyes flashed with determination.   
  
“Starwell, I’m not sure if you’re up to it yet.”  
  
“I feel fine,” the User stated firmly. “I just… I need to help with that Game, okay? I gotta do something instead of sitting around feeling bad about everything. If I don’t do something… I’ll just keep thinking about how I might never get back home!”  
  
Mouse opened her mouth, then closed it. She sighed. “Fine,” she relented. She already figured that nothing too terrible could happen to the girl anyway, whether she won or lost; she was a User, after all. “But I’m coming with you.”  
  
Starwell blinked. “You are?”  
  
“Sure thing. It’ll give me a chance to see my handiwork in action… and to see if my own upgrade works.” Mouse indicated her own Icon. “Now come on, Sugar,” she said in a more urgent tone, grabbing the girl’s arm and starting to run. “We gotta hurry if we’re gonna catch that Game Cube!”   
  
Starwell ran alongside her.


	53. Chapter 53

Bob and Matrix were already on zip boards and moving to intercept the game when they noticed someone else approaching. “Who is that?” Matrix wondered aloud.  
  
“It’s… Anna Code?” Bob blinked.  
  
Matrix gritted his teeth as the three of them met in mid-air. “Get out of here, Code,” he growled. “We’ve got this one.”  
  
Anna glared defiantly. “I’m going in there to beat this game, and neither of you can stop me!” she snapped. She then zipped past them on her Zip Board.  
  
“Enzo, it’s okay,” Bob told his friend before he could say anything. “She’ll help. Come on, we gotta get in there before the Cube lands.”  
  
Matrix grumbled something incoherent, but he knew Bob was right. If they didn’t just keep moving they would lose their chance to get in the Game. “She’d better stay out of our way,” he growled as they got into position.  
  
“She might need our help,” Bob said thoughtfully. “Did you notice her arm?”  
  
“No… what about it?”  
  
The Game Cube completed its descent; it settled into the sector and nestled in, sealing into that portion of the system. Energy crackled momentary, and then their surroundings changed.  
  
They found themselves in what appeared to be a space station; specifically, a small hanger bay just large enough to hold a two-manned spacecraft. It was a sleek vessel containing a pair of silvery wings that curved forward; the entire vessel almost had a warped “W” shape.  
  
“Glitch,” Bob said, “Game Stats.” The Keytool beeped and whirled. “We appear to be in the first level of a space shooter game,” he told Matrix. “We need to stop the User from reaching its objective at the end of the level.”  
  
“So… what were you saying about Code’s arm?” Matrix asked after a moment.  
  
“Her Keytool is gone,” Bob said. Something had felt a little “off’ about Anna when he had looked at her… and looked into her eyes. It wasn’t something that he could put into words, but it was something a Guardian would notice.  
  
“What?” Matrix blinked. “Do you think she’s infected?” The last time Keytools left their Guardians was during the Daemon Infection. Could Megabyte have infected her? Could he be that powerful now?  
  
Bob frowned, considering the same thing for a moment. “I don’t think so… I think there’s something else going on. I’ll have to ask her about it.”  
  
“I don’t like this.” Matrix shook his head. “If I find out that she’s got something going on with Megabyte…” The threat lingered in the air.  
  
“We can talk to her later,” Bob said. “We’ve got a game to win.”  
  
Bob nodded, and they tapped their Icons in unison. “ReBoot!” A bright light engulfed them and they found themselves attired in identical fighter uniforms, complete with helmets. The outfits were dark green in color, almost black, with a gold stripe down the arms and pant legs.  
  
Matrix nodded with a sigh. “Let’s do this.” With that, they boarded their vessel and prepared to launch; Bob took the main pilot’s seat as Matrix took the co-pilot’s chair.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“Okay… this is weird,” Starwell said, rubbing the back of her head. “Where are we?”  
  
Mouse looked around, taking in their surroundings with a keen, curious eye. “Well, this is different,” she said. She had never seen the inside of a game before, although she had heard others talk about them. Normally she avoided them out of habit and necessity, especially since there was always someone else who could go into the games.  
  
The one time she had tried to enter a game, the young AndrAIa had stolen her Zip Board and left her atop a building.  
  
“It looks like we’re in some kind of… room,” Mouse mused thoughtfully. She moved cautiously to the nearest window and peered outside. There appeared to be an endless black expanse with specks of light glimmering throughout the void.   
  
“That looks like outer space!” Starwell exclaimed, when she looked out the window as well. “Don’t go outside,” she said. “Not unless you have a space suit or something.”  
  
Gizmo began to beep in mild annoyance; it knew what the next step should be, and it felt a tad ignored. “Uh… yeah,” Starwell cleared her throat. “Um… show me the Game Stats.” Gizmo changed shape and showed her a readout on a tiny screen; information flowed across it.  
  
“Okay,” Starwell mused thoughtfully, “looks like we’re in the hanger bay on a space station… I think the game wants us to compete against the User--the one who’s not me,” she added wryly, “by using those.” She pointed to a pair of twin fighter ships, small and sleek in design with fin-like wings. They each appeared to be one-man vessels.  
  
“Well, it’s a good thing I know how to fly.” Mouse straightened and extended two fingers, tapping the Icon on her belt twice. “ReBoot!” A light flashed, and a moment later she found herself wearing a dark-colored uniform with a silver stripe going down the sides.   
  
Starwell stared in fascination for a moment. This was the first time she’d actually seen a Mainframer ReBoot in front of her. “Wow,” she said. “So that’s how it happens!”  
  
Mouse tipped her head to one side; she then flexed her shoulders and placed her hands on her hips, as if getting used to her altered format within the game code. She also seemed to be eyeing herself, as if trying to see if anything felt different. “It’s how sprites and binomes take part in the game, Sugar,” she replied. “Otherwise we don’t get fully integrated in the Game. This just makes people get ‘in character’, so I understand.”  
  
Mouse made a slight gestured toward the girl. “What cha waiting for? You should ReBoot as well.” She indicated the girl’s Icon with her eyes.  
  
“Oh, okay.” Starwell took a deep breath, not quite sure what was going to happen. She felt a mixture of apprehension and excitement as she raised her hand. Her fingertips hovered above her Icon for a moment as she steeled herself.  
  
“ReBoot!” Starwell managed not to flinch as the white light engulfed her; she found herself in a uniform identical to Mouse’s. And she didn’t feel any different.  
  
The Hacker and the User-sprite instinctively glanced toward the ceiling as the System Voice spoke up. “Player Two, Alpha Starwell, has been accepted,” it said. “Player Two will compete against the User.”  
  
Starwell beamed at Mouse. “Oh my gosh, you did it!” she squeaked in delight; she gave Mouse a hug.  
  
Mouse smiled. “Come on, Hon,” she said, patting the girl on the shoulder. “Let’s head on out.”  
  
Starwell frowned. “I don’t know how to fly.”  
  
“Ah, yeah… I remember.”  
  
“It’s not funny!”  
  
“Sorry, didn’t mean to laugh, Sugar. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you a few pointers. You’ll get the hang of it in no time.”  
  
Starwell sighed. If she had known that this game was going to involve flying, she might not have been so anxious to get into it. But she was here now; she could only make the most of it. At least it showed that her Icon worked the way Mouse had said.  
  
“Okay,” she nodded, “let’s go.”

0o0o0o0o0o0

Ironically, Anna Code was the first one to encounter the User Avatar; a small, sleek vessel that had limited firepower, but it had speed and maneuverability on its side. Anna knew this game; she had played it once during her Academy days back in the Supercomputer. It wasn’t old, but it wasn’t exactly new either.  
  
The User had the ability to choose its form before the game started; there were a small variety of vessel classes it could select from. And just her luck, it had chosen the one that was the most annoying to evade or try to shoot down. The User’s objective was to eliminate all hostile forces in the area and then move in to board the station. If Anna or anyone else who’d entered the Game didn’t stop the User, it would board the station and… if it reached the control center and initiated the self-destruct, it would win.  
  
Anna was performing evasive maneuvers with the User hot on her tail when she heard the System Announcement. It not only revealed to the Rogue Guardian that Starwell had entered the Game, but… she wasn’t being identified as a User.  
  
“Player Two?” Anna muttered, furrowing her brows in perplexment--and gritted her teeth as she yanked the piloting joystick backward. She forced her tiny ship’s nose upward, evading a series of blasts just in the nick of time. She leaned heavily to the right, gripping the control stick in an iron grasp as she forced her ship into a roll.  
  
The User’s ship flew over and past her, coming around for another attack. “Oh no you don’t,” Anna growled. She forced her ship forward full-throttle, swerving her vessel on an intercept trajectory.  
  
One of her shots hit its target; the rest missed. “Cursors!” Anna spat, coming about for another pass. The User was just too fast for its own good! She didn’t quite move out of the way in time; the User’s ship fired a few shots that hit her hull.  
  
“You are not taking me down, User!” Anna attempted evasive maneuvers, although her ship had become more sluggish.   
  
Shots were fired from a different direction; this caused Anna to double-check her scanner as the User changed target. It apparently a two-man spacecraft was approaching, and it was firing at the User.  
  
“Need a hand?” came a familiar voice over her radio.  
  
Anna scowled, even if she was relieved for the assistance. She had no wish to be nullified due to her own inadequacy. “Yeah, thanks,” she remarked dryly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Inside the other vessel, Matrix focused on the weapons systems while Bob concentrated on piloting. “So… on three?” the Guardian asked his friend, as they came about for another pass.  
  
“No,” Matrix said. “Let’s just do it.” He squeezed the trigger on his joystick and fired off several shots. A pair of blasts hit home; explosions flared across the surface of the User’s vessel as it faltered. It fired off a couple of final shots, then it sped off in a completely different direction.  
  
“Let’s go get him.” Matrix was already prepping the weapons systems, but Bob’s voice stopped him.  
  
“No,” the Guardian said. “We need to make sure Anna is okay.”  
  
“But the User is getting away! Now’s our chance to get him!”  
  
“We can go after him in a nano,” Bob insisted. “He needs time to recover his health and energy anyway.”  
  
Matrix swore, staring out the forward window as the User vanished out of sight. According to the ship’s sensors, it wouldn’t be long until it was out of scanner range as well. “Bob…”  
  
“I know. But the User has to come back here eventually,” Bob said. “It has to try to take the station if it wants to win. And maybe by that point, we’ll rendezvous with Starwell and anyone else who’s made it into the Game.” They’d both heard the System announcing Starwell being accepted as “Player Two” instead of a second User. Apparently Mouse’s upgrade had worked.  
  
Matrix frowned. He didn’t like the idea of the kid or any inexperienced binomes being anywhere near the User. What if they just got in the way? Or what if they got hurt? He began to wish that he and Bob had separate vessels; then he could have gone after the User while Bob checked on Code, if that’s what the Guardian wanted to do.  
  
“Fine,” Matrix relented. “But we’d better hope the User doesn’t get power ups out the ying-yang.”  
  
“This isn’t Rocky the Rabid Raccoon,” Bob pointed out, and then he hit the transmitter. “This is Bob to Guardian 752,” he said, speaking formally and informally at the same time. “Anna, are you alright?”  
  
There was a moment of silence. “If you just look out the window you’ll see I’m still in one piece,” came the sarcastic reply.  
  
“Guess you’re fine,” Bob remarked. The woman obviously still had a chip on her shoulder. “Have you seen any sign of Starwell or anyone else?”  
  
There was a derisive snort. “If I had I would have shot her out of the sky.”  
  
“Code,” Matrix spoke up sternly, “if I catch you firing one blast that is remotely near Starwell--”  
  
“Enzo, Anna,” Bob interrupted, somewhat sharply, “look, this isn’t getting us anywhere. Anna, Starwell is not being counted as a Second User in this Game; a friend of mine gave her an Icon with a few modifications. She’s registered as a User-based AI in Games now.”  
  
“Makes no difference to me. She’s still a User.”  
  
Matrix’s finger tightened around the trigger; Bob snatched his hand, pulling it away from the controls. “Anna,” Bob said in a more serious tone, “I’m only going to say this once. Leave Starwell alone.”  
  
“Or what?”  
  
“Or you’ll have to go through us to get to her!” Matrix spoke up.  
  
There was a moment of silence.  
  
“Fine, have it your way… for now,” Anna replied with a growl.   
  
“Very good,” Bob said with a nod of approval. He just hoped she would continue to behave herself; he would try to have another talk with her after the Game was over. Hopefully she would stick around once the Cube left… and not do anything stupid. “Now let’s circle around the station and see if we can spot Starwell or anyone else.”  
  
They proceeded in silence for a few nanos, making a beeline back toward the space station they were supposed to protect. During their pursuit of the User they had gone out farther than Bob had thought; it would take them several microseconds to get back.  
  
Bob broke the silence after a while. “Hey Anna… what happened to your Keytool?“  
  
Matrix’s eyes were glued to the scanners for the most part; his trigger finger remained ready in case the User returned, or anything else happened. He glanced briefly in Bob’s direction, then resumed looking at the scanners.   
  
If they’d had two-way communication screens instead of mere two-way audio, Bob would have seen Anna’s cheeks flush. “It is none of your business,” she replied stiffly.  
  
“I need to know, one way or another,” Bob persisted. “If you don’t want to tell me now… we can meet at Dot’s Diner or maybe my apartment. But I need you to tell me.”  
  
“Why in the Net is it so important for you to know?”  
  
“Because I need to know what’s going on,” Bob replied patiently. “This is my system to defend, and if you’re going to stay in this System I need to make sure you’re not impaired in any way.”  
  
“Her Keytool probably left her for going random,” Matrix remarked rudely. “She’d have to be misfiled in her processor to leave her own System.”  
  
“I left my system to pursue a dangerous User!” Anna snapped defensively.  
  
“Guardians aren’t supposed to chase Users, at least not outside of Games,” Matrix countered. “Besides, if something you think is a threat leaves your System, you don’t go chasing after it.”  
  
“Matrix is right,” Bob said with a sigh. “By leaving your System you abandoned it to potential threats.”  
  
“A User is a much greater threat than even a Supervirus,” Anna insisted angrily. “I don’t understand why none of you can see that. If there is a misfiled glitch-head around here, it’s you! You and your friend!”  
  
Matrix held his temper. If Bob hadn’t been present, the Renegade might have chewed the Rogue Guardian out… or done something worse. But for the moment, Matrix would keep his mouth shut and stay his hand… for now.  
  
“Guardian 752,” Bob spoke up firmly and formally, “you are once again stepping out of bounds. I’ve allowed you to stay in Mainframe because you asked, and because I was hoping that your stay here might change your mind. But…”  
  
“But what?” Anna snipped.  
  
“If you don’t cease your current course of action, I’m afraid I’ll have to order you to leave Mainframe.”  
  
“Are you serious?”  
  
“Yes,” Bob stated sternly. He spoke not in the tone he used when scolding Little Enzo over stealing cookies or planting a small bit-worm in his schoolteacher’s apple. He spoke in a tone that he only used when angry, the telltale sign that his patience and good nature had been stretched to the limit. The tone that only Megabyte and few others had heard him use.  
  
“Guardian 752, I am giving you two options,” Bob continued in the same, dead-serious tone. “You will either level with me about what is going on after the Game is over, or you will agree to leave Mainframe immediately.”  
  
Matrix came close to rolling his eyes. If it had been up to him, he would simply order her to leave at gunpoint. But he wasn’t the Guardian in charge of defending the System. He had Guardian code within him, but he had been on the Renegade path far too long to change now.  
  
“Well?” Bob prompted after a moment. “What’s it gonna be?”  
  
“We’re getting near the station,” Anna announced, as the spherical-shaped station appeared before them, growing steadily larger. “I’m detecting two vessels on an approach vector.”  
  
“Alright,” Bob replied, “but… you’re going to give me an answer when the Game is over.” He tapped a couple of keys on the communication terminal above their heads. “This is Bob to unidentified vessels. Do you read?” He had to find out who or what they were; whether they were friendlies or Game sprites.  
  
A familiar southern accent replied over the speakers. “Loud and clear, Bob. Starwell’s in the other ship. Who’s with you?”  
  
“Anna Code,” Bob replied. “I’ve got Matrix with me in the co-pilot chair.” He blinked slightly as his processor registered something. “Starwell’s flying the other ship?” He looked out the side window, where the two ships were pulling into formation near them. One of them was flying a bit erratically, but staying on course; no doubt that one contained the young sprite.  
  
Bob also noted that Mouse’s ship positioned itself between Starwell’s and Anna’s.  
  
“I’ve been giving her lessons on the fly, so to speak,” Mouse replied. “That Rogue Guardian is with us, you say? Wonderful…”  
  
“I can hear you, you know,” Anna’s voice came over the speakers.   
  
“Just mind your manners, Guardian, and there won’t be any problems,” Mouse stated. She figured that if Matrix and Bob hadn’t blown Anna out of the sky already, they must have reached some kind of understanding. But Mouse had been backstabbed by Guardians before; she wasn’t about to let her guard down.  
  
“Starwell, how are you holding up?” Bob asked.  
  
The girl made a coughing noise. “Okay, I guess,” she replied. “But I almost rammed into Mouse a couple of times.”  
  
“Like I said, Hon, you just need to stay focused. Remember those controls are touchy, and you’re in a three-dimensional environment.”  
  
Inside her own cramped cockpit, Starwell furrowed her brow in concentration. She kept reminding herself that, despite how real this was… it was still a game. This might even be how virtual reality would play out if she was in one of those games instead… I’m in real virtual reality, she thought wryly. During the initial flight lesson with Mouse, Starwell had learned the basics of what each lever and button did and when to maneuver the joystick.   
  
During the lesson, Mouse had popped an occasional question about how Users played games outside the Net, to which Starwell answered the best she could. Mouse had seemed perplexed by the fact that Users essentially did everything through a type of keypad and optical “clicky” device.  
  
“Either that or they use a really fancy cell phone,” Starwell had said, once again causing Gizmo to perk up. “People outside the Net use those to talk to each other.”  
  
“Like VidWindows?” Mouse had asked.  
  
“Yeah, sorta.”   
  
That conversation had been cut short when they’d encountered the other two ships. Starwell’s mind snapped back to the present when Matrix’s voice spoke through the speakers.  
  
“The User is coming back around!” the Renegade said. “Looks like it’s fully powered up!”  
  
“Alright,” Bob said. “Everybody come about and get into formation. Let’s end this!”  
  
Anna’s craft practically choked as she maneuvered about; obviously hers had become the most sluggish due to the minor damage it had sustained. The Rogue Guardian heard Mouse giving further guidance to Starwell about maneuvering in combat, though Bob urged the girl to stay back for the most part; Matrix seemed to agree.  
  
The two-man vessel took point as the User approached. The User’s ship was already firing a widespread spray of shots; Bob gripped the helm controls and dodged most of them, but a couple of blasts struck the ship’s wings.  
  
Matrix fired; the User rolled out of the way, zipping past the starboard wing. The Renegade cursed. “I knew we should have got him while he was down,” he growled, as Bob began to bring them about.  
  
Mouse’s excited battle cry blared over the speakers as she shot straight toward the User. Her craft wasn’t as fast but it was still small and maneuverable; she twisted her ship and zigzagged somewhat, dodging every shot that came in her direction. Then she fired several blasts; some of them actually hit their mark.  
  
“YEE-HAW!” Mouse shouted.   
  
“Good work, Mouse!” Bob said over the comm.  
  
But the User was still going. One of the wings had been damaged and there was a minor hull breath, but the weapons systems and thrusters were fully functional.  
  
The User kept moving on its current path, headed straight toward the other two ships. Bob brought the two-man craft up behind it, flying past Mouse as she came about; Mouse took up a position behind Bob and Matrix. Anna was still trying to get her vessel under control as Starwell followed at a distance behind the Rogue Guardian.  
  
“Oh no…” Starwell’s eyes flew wide. The User fired several shots; Anna couldn’t evade them all. Her ship began to smolder.  
  
Time seemed to slow down as Starwell’s mind raced. The same guilt and horror rose up within her as she thought of those poor binomes she had nullified. She remembered the looks on their faces as they had looked at her, knowing that she was about to destroy all that they were.  
  
And now the User was going to destroy Anna. Starwell gritted her teeth and grabbed the joystick firmly; she had destroyed everything that Anna loved without knowing it. The least she could do was help Anna now.  
  
Starwell ignored the warnings and protests she heard over the comm speakers as her friends realized what she was doing. She surged over Anna’s ship, missing it by mere inches, and taking the brunt of the continuous fire.  
  
Then Starwell’s ship collided with the User’s. Metal scraped against metal as Starwell lost a portion of her hull and the User’s wing got ripped off. Both vessels careened out of control.  
  
“Starwell!” Bob’s voice shouted.


	54. Chapter 54

“Go check on her, Bob; I’ll handle the User,” Mouse said, already moving into position to make the killing blow.  
  
Bob positioned the two-man vessel more or less between the User’s vessel and the two damaged craft. Anna’s ship wasn’t moving at all, and Starwell’s tumbled out of control. “Starwell, can you hear me? Anna, are you alright?”  
  
“I’ll live.” Anna coughed a few times. Her helmet was damaged and smoke spewed from the engine like smoke pouring out of an angry dragon’s mouth.  
  
“Good,” Bob said. He had issues with Guardian 752, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see her harmed or nullified.  
  
“Starwell, are you okay?” Matrix spoke up before Bob had a chance. “Come on kid, say something!”  
  
Inside her own cockpit, Anna bit her lower lip. Even as she silently hoped. If only it could be that simple, to let all of this end here and now…  
  
But then Starwell answered. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she replied, sounding somewhat dazed. “I forgot to put on my seatbelt I guess… I got knocked around a bit.”  
  
Inside their shared cockpit, Bob and Matrix exchanged glances of relief. But their relief was short-lived when Matrix glanced at the scanner; the User’s ship was exhibiting some strange readings. “Bob,” the Renegade indicated the screen, “look!”  
  
Bob looked, then his eyes flew wide. “Mouse!” he shouted over the comm. “Get away from the User now!”  
  
Mouse had already initiated an aggressive attack while the others had been checking on Anna and Starwell. The Hacker had been cautious at first, firing off shots that pecked down the User’s armor, but then the ship swerved and the thrusters powered down. Mouse smiled, knowing that her target was on its last leg; she could move in for the kill.  
  
The Hacker had already swung around for another pass when she heard Bob’s warning. “Don’t worry, Sugar, I’ve got him!” Mouse narrowed her eyes into slits as she moved into position and fired--  
  
Only she didn’t anticipate the User having a backup plan; a surprise. She approached from behind the User’s ship, which meant she was in the line of fire when the clever craft re-ignited one of its three thrusters, full blast. Mouse’s ship was caught in a powerful burst of hot energy that scorched her hull and short-circuited her helm components.  
  
Mouse’s ship spiraled out of control and went adrift; the User powered up its other two thrusters and began to move off.  
  
“MOUSE!” Bob shouted through the comm terminal.  
  
“Oh my God…” Starwell practically whimpered when she realized that had happened. Her gloved hand bumped the front of her helmet when she tried to clasp her hand over her mouth. “Mouse, are you okay? MOUSE!”  
  
There was no answer.   
  
This also meant that Bob and Matrix had the best chance of getting the User; they had the only functional ship left.  
  
“Let’s end this now,” Matrix said in a dark tone. Bob agreed.  
  
As the two-man craft moved off to intercept the limping User, Starwell slammed her hand against the terminal in front of her. “Come on, Mouse! Answer me! Are you there?”  
  
Anna Code flicked a couple of switches within her own ship, so that she had only two-way communication with Starwell’s ship. No one else would hear her. “What do you care, User?” the Rogue Guardian growled. “Your kind does this sort of thing all the time.”  
  
A tear streaked down Starwell’s cheek. “I… I know!” the User-sprite cried. “I know that now! I’m trying to help, I’m trying to make it right!”  
  
“It’s too late, girl. Nothing you can do can make it right.”  
  
Starwell bit down on her lower lip, trying to get her emotions under control. She felt ashamed, guilty, hurt… and angry. “You can’t blame me for something I didn’t know about!” she exclaimed. “And now that I do know about it… well, we fixed it! I can’t nullify anybody anymore!”  
  
Anna barked a harsh laugh. “You might have the Game fooled, and you might have pulled the wool over everyone else’s eyes,” she said, “but you won’t with me. I know who and what you are, User.”  
  
A chill went down Starwell’s spine at Anna’s next words: “No matter what happens… I will get you, User. This I promise you.” The Rogue Guardian spoke in a deadly tone, a solemn oath.  
  
Starwell shivered. “I saved your life! I helped you!” Her voice trembled.  
  
A brilliant flash of light grabbed their attention; the User’s vessel exploded in a bright, fiery flash as Bob’s flying and Matrix’s superb shooting took it out.   
  
This time there was no announcement about Starwell being a remaining User. The game simply ended with the standard, “GAME OVER.” A bright white light flashed as everything dissolved around them, including their space uniforms and their ships.

“GAME OVER,” blared again as the Cube ascended into the sky and disappeared.  
Mouse lay on the ground a short distance away. She was present, if momentarily offline; that meant she had not been taken with the Game.  
  
“MOUSE!” Starwell scrambled to her feet and dashed over to the fallen sprite, falling to her knees beside Mouse. “Are you okay?” Starwell gingerly touched the Hacker’s shoulder. “Come on, wake up!” She heard the sound of footfalls tapping the ground behind her as the others approached; she ignored them.  
  
Bob knelt down on the other side of Mouse as Matrix’s form towered over all of them. The Guardian checked Mouse’s vitals. “She should be fine,” Bob announced after a moment. As if on cue, Mouse’s eyelids fluttered open and she groaned softly. “What--where I am?” She touched her forehead; she could feel a professor ache coming on.  
  
“Mouse, you’re okay!” Starwell beamed. “You got hit really bad by the User in the Game, but Matrix and Bob beat him!”  
  
“How do you feel?” Bob asked. Out of everyone, Mouse appeared to have gotten the worst of the deal.  
  
Speaking of everyone… Bob cast a quick glance over his shoulder to see where Anna was. The Rogue Guardian stood a few meters away, watching them intently. He tried to motion her over; he still wanted to talk to her. Anna shook her head and folded her arms.  
  
Bob’s brow furrowed, and he shrugged. He would talk to her in a moment. “Come on,” Bob said, extended a hand to Mouse, “I’ll help you up.”  
  
Mouse allowed herself to be pulled up; once she was on her feet she lean against Bob for a moment, trying to regain her balance. The Guardian kept his hands on her until he was sure she could stand on her own.  
  
“Matrix,” Bob said after a moment, “could you take Mouse and Starwell to the Principal Office? Have them both get checked out by Phong and make sure they’re okay.”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” Matrix said with a nod. “What about her?” He glared in the other Guardian’s direction.  
  
“Leave her to me,” Bob said. “Go on, I’ll catch up later.”  
  
“Just be careful, Bob,” Mouse muttered. “I could tell that one was trouble the first time I saw her.” She rubbed her forehead warily.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Once the three of them were headed off, Bob crossed the distance between him and Anna until they were face-to-face. “You alright?” he asked her, eyeing her up and down.  
  
Anna had watched the entire exchange with a stoic expression. Now she faced Bob evenly with an icy glare. “Fine. You?”  
  
“I’m okay.”  
  
A short silence fell between them.  
  
“So,” Bob said when the other didn’t seem inclined to speak, “do you want to tell me what’s going?” He eyed her arm again. “What happened to your Keytool?”  
  
Anna glanced away. She self-consciously clutched a satchel that hung from a strap on her shoulder. “I’m not sure,” she finally said. “I was busy cleansing the Island of residual viral code…” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You wouldn’t believe how many stray bits and bytes remained there in some areas. Obviously you haven’t been doing your job.”  
  
“I’ve been busy,” Bob countered. “Besides, there hasn’t been any activity on that Island since you went there; it’s a contained space that’s separate from the city.” Bob folded his arms. “You didn’t happen to see anything strange while you were there, did you?”  
  
“Are you accusing me of something?” Anna snapped, placing her hands on her hips. “I went there to do you a favor by cleaning up that place. And,” she admitted, “to… think about things.” She lowered her gaze. “I do some of my best thinking when I’m alone.”  
  
“Did you think about what I told you? About Hexadecimal and how she defeated Daemon?”  
  
“It crossed my mind somewhat.”  
  
“And?”  
  
Anna pursed her lips. “I still think you’re a glitch-head if you choose to let viruses… and Users… roam free.” She scowled pointedly in the direction that Matrix, Starwell and Mouse had gone.  
  
Bob sighed. He’d seen a fair amount of stubborn people in his time; some of them he’d met back at the Academy. It seemed that quite a few Guardians disliked Users, although very few had ever considered the notion of meeting a User. Most felt it was impossible and wouldn’t do any good even if they did.  
  
Bob had accepted a long time ago that his ideals and opinions were unorthodox by Guardian standards. For the most part, only Turbo seemed intrigued by his ideas… and ever since the Daemon infection, even Turbo had been having second thoughts about some things.  
  
“Is it possible your Keytool was taken from you?” Bob pressed after a moment. Could Megabyte have taken it?  
Anna frowned, then shook her head slightly. “There is a slight possibility, but I doubt it.”  
  
“Have you seen Megabyte?”  
  
“I… saw something on the Island,” Anna said vaguely. Her eyes were hooded and her tone was a little off, as if she was hiding something.  
  
“Tell me what you saw.”  
  
Anna sighed. “Look, I don’t know what it was,” she said defensively. “Some kind of mutated sprite I guess.”  
  
“Did he speak to you?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Well, what was he doing?”  
  
“I… caught him looking at me. Before I could do anything, he was gone.”  
  
Bob frowned, analyzing the woman’s words. Judging from her body language, tone of voice and expression, he had a strong feeling that she was lying. But what was she hiding?  
  
“Do you have any idea what triggered the Phoenix Virus?” Bob inquired, changing tactics. “You were seen coming from the Island after it was activated.”  
  
“Alright,” Anna admitted, “I accidentally triggered it when I went to investigate the Island. Then,” she pointed defensively, “I came to the city to warn you all!”  
  
“But you didn’t stick around to help us fight it,” Bob pointed out. “You didn’t even go into the Game Cube to help beat it. Instead you went after Starwell.” He looked at her with severe disappointment. “Have you forgotten all of your responsibilities as a Guardian?”  
  
Anna took a step closer, bringing herself face to face with Bob. “I was going after what I perceived to be a greater threat.” She jabbed a finger into Bob’s chest. “When will you understand that? The User nearly nullified your friend in the Game!”  
  
“But Starwell put herself in danger to help you!” Bob insisted. “She knows what happened in your system… what she did. But she had no idea what she did until you told her. And you know why? It’s because Users don’t know that we exist!”  
  
“Rubbish!” Anna spat. “Some of them must have an inkling we exist; they just get a sick pleasure in making our lives miserable.” She narrowed her eyes. “Perhaps the younger ones don’t know any better, like Starwell, but others…”  
Bob sighed. “So what do you plan to do?” he asked. “Keep on going after Starwell every chance you get?”  
  
Anna didn’t answer.  
  
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to report you to the Prime Guardian,” Bob told her firmly.  
  
Her eyes flew wide. “For what?” she demanded.  
  
“For several things,” Bob stated. “First of all, stepping into a system without permission. Secondly, for ignoring your own Guardian Code and threatening someone who is under my protection.”  
  
“Even though that someone is a User, who could potentially devastate a system.” Anna clenched her hands into fists. “It seems that our logic and motivations conflict… Guardian.”  
  
Bob gave her a stern look. That comment had not been a challenge, a mere statement of fact; but it proved that the woman wasn’t going to back down. She was dead set in her ways of thinking and she wouldn’t be deterred. Arguing was getting them nowhere.  
  
“Look, Anna,” Bob said, “you’ve been through a lot. I get that. But you’re letting your resentment interfere with your judgment. Starwell hasn’t done anything to intentionally harm this system.”  
  
“She nullified a sector.”  
  
Bob knew she would bring that up. “And after the way you yelled at her, she felt so guilty that she ran away for seconds. It took us a while to find her and,” he raised his index finger, “when we did find her, we took steps to make sure that wouldn’t happen again.” He dropped his hand. “I think you should leave,” he told her simply. Between Megabyte resurfacing here and there, and various others things that were going on… none of them needed Anna complicating things with her emotional baggage. Especially if she wouldn’t listen to reason.  
  
Anna shifted on her foot; she took a couple of steps back. The woman knew she was outside her jurisdiction and, if she continued to press certain buttons at this point, it would only be detrimental to what she wanted to do.

She refused to give up on the User. Not now. Not when she was so close. “I can’t create a portal without Cappaten,” she pointed out.  
  
“I thought you came in with a Search Engine,” Bob said, puzzled. A few binomes had seen a Search Engine and a Tracking Cookie accompanying Anna when she first arrived. The boat they’d used was still docked just outside the city, though no one had seen Dana Line or Miss Cookie since then.  
  
Anna sighed. “They were consumed by the Phoenix Virus,” she stated simply. “Look,” she said, “why don’t we both go and talk to Turbo? I’m sure he’ll be very interested to hear about a User being in Mainframe.” She scowled. “Unless you don’t think he should know…”  
  
“Fine,” Bob said. “Let’s go to the Principal Office, and we’ll talk to Turbo.” Bob wasn’t sure what the Prime Guardian would think of this news about a User being in Mainframe, but he did deserve to know.   
  
Bob thought briefly of the Temporal Distortion that Phong had put himself and Starwell through some time ago. He had been relieved that Anna hadn’t told Turbo anything behind his back. Perhaps now was the right time to speak to the Prime Guardian, especially since Guardian 752 would not let up on the matter.  
  
Maybe he could even help Anna see reason where Bob had failed.  
  
Anna, on the other hand, hoped the opposite. She wanted Turbo to grant her permission to take the User into custody… or perhaps have Starwell downloaded to the Supercomputer for holding or, better yet, erasure.  
  
They each threw out their zip boards and began to speed off toward the Principal Office.


	55. Chapter 55

“So I hear you got into your first game,” Ray Surfer said to Mouse as he entered the Infirmary. Phong had just completed a scan on her, confirming that she was in excellent health.  
  
“You heard right, Hon,” Mouse remarked as she hopped off of the bed.  
  
Ray seemed intrigued. He leaned casually against his Surf Board as it stood up-right on its end. “What was it like?” Like all Search Engines, he’d never been inside a game.  
  
“Psh, it wasn’t really anything that different or exciting,” Mouse said with a dismissive wave of hand. “Just some flying ships that could shoot at each other.”  
  
“Mouse, you were almost killed!” Starwell exclaimed.  
  
“I’m alright, Honey,” Mouse said with a slight wink. “I’ve been through worse.”  
  
“Somehow I believe ya,” Ray remarked as he neared Mouse. He liked a woman who didn’t mind taking risks, and the female Hacker was one of the few women he’d met who equaled his adventurous side. “Just be careful. I… wouldn’t want to see anything happen to you, love.”  
  
“You know me, Sugar. I can handle myself, and when I can’t… I’ve always got my friends to back me up.” Mouse kissed Ray.  
  
Phong cleared his throat. “If you will excuse me, my children,” he said, “I have other duties to attend to.”  
  
“Bye, Phong!” Starwell waved.  
  
“Farewell, Starwell.”  
  
Once the door shut behind him, Starwell looked at Matrix. The big, burly sprite was leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, as if waiting for everyone else to finish. He was running a cloth lightly over Gun, either cleaning it or polishing it.  
  
“So uh…” Starwell shrugged. “What should I do now?”   
  
Matrix set aside the cloth and let Gun return to his hip. “I gotta get back to the Diner,” he said, as if just remembering that himself. “Feel free to come along if you want.”   
  
“Diner?” Starwell tilted her head.  
  
“Yeah… I sort of run it now,” Matrix answered. “It’s actually my sister’s, but she’s busy here as the Command Dot Com.”  
  
“Well… sure, I’d like to see the place,” Starwell said. Bob had mentioned something about Dot’s Diner, so that must have been the same place.  
  
“Then let’s get going,” Matrix nodded. “See you later,” he said, giving a slight wave in Mouse’s and Ray’s direction.  
  
When they reached the outside of the Principal Office, Matrix glanced at the girl. “So you want to try a Zip Board?”  
  
Starwell swallowed. “I’d… rather not.”  
  
Matrix rolled his eyes and threw out his zip board. If they were simply walking he might have offered to let her ride on his back again, but he didn’t want to risk her falling off while they were flying. “Come here,” he said, and he carefully lifted her into his arms. He then flew off, carrying her toward Dot’s Diner.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dot was mildly surprised when she saw Bob and Anna enter the control room of the Principal Office together. Things had been so hectic that Dot hadn’t spoken to Bob much, at least not alone. Judging from the stern look on Bob’s face and the mask of ice that barely hid the look of anger on Anna’s face… something was going on.  
  
“Dot,” Bob said, “we need to talk to Turbo. Could you establish a connection with the Supercomputer?”  
  
Anna glared at him. “We shouldn’t do it in here,” she stated firmly. “This is Guardian business only.”  
  
“This also pertains to a resident in our system,” Bob said, “so I’d say our Command Dot Com should be present for this.”  
  
Anna rolled her eyes. “Fine.”  
  
“Bob, what is going on?” Dot wanted to know.   
  
“We’re going to talk to Turbo about Starwell,” Bob replied. “And…” He eyed the Rogue Guardian, “we’re going to discuss Anna’s recent behavior.”  
  
Anna said nothing. She simply examined the contents of her satchel while she waited for the others to establish communication with the Supercomputer. It seemed that she had lost a few of the gadgets she’d collected from the island in the Game; perhaps they’d been destroyed or fragmented in the explosion.  
  
Only two remained. One of them was an odd little crystal box with a light emanating from within. The other appeared to be a white mask with a black device attached to the back of it.   
  
There was something odd about that mask… But she couldn’t think about it now. She left the items in the satchel and closed it; she didn’t need the others to see them.  
A few nanos passed, and the large screen on their heads finally lit up. Two-way communication had been established with the Supercomputer; Prime Guardian Turbo sat at his office desk, wearing the red dress uniform of a Guardian.  
  
“Hello, Bob,” Turbo greeted. He folded his hands together in front of him as he stared into the screen. “What do I owe the pleasure of--” He stopped, frowning. “Is that Guardian 752 standing with you?”  
  
Anna spoke for herself. “Yeah, it’s me.” She crossed her arms.  
  
The Prime Guardian opened his mouth, then closed it quickly. He seemed to be eyeing Anna’s arm. “What happened to your Keytool?” he wanted to know. He had personally witnessed Cappaten join with her soon before she graduated the Academy.  
  
“I don’t know,” Anna replied testily. “That’s not important right now.”  
  
“What are you doing in Mainframe?” Turbo asked, a touch of sternness creeping into his tone.   
  
“I came here in pursuit of a dangerous individual from System Watson Codec,” Anna stated. “Something that Bob doesn’t want to do anything about.”  
  
Bob gave her a look.  
  
“Bob?” Turbo looked puzzled. “What is this about, son?”  
  
“We have a User in our city here in Mainframe, Turbo,” Bob spoke up. “She’s just a kid,” he added quickly, spreading his arms in front of him for emphasis.  
  
“Yes, a young User, but still dangerous,” Anna put in firmly, folding her arms.  
  
Turbo blinked a couple of times. “Am I hearing you both right? Did you say you have a User in your system?” He scratched the back of his head. “You aren’t simply referring to some undeleted RAM causing User Avatars to run amok again, are you?”  
  
“No,” Anna stated shortly. “This User didn’t come from a Game. She is an actual User. From outside the Net.”  
  
Turbo’s eyebrows shot up, nearly vanishing under his hairline. He seemed momentarily speechless as he turned back to Bob, eyeing his friend with a silent question in his eyes. Can you confirm this, Bob?  
  
“Yes, that’s right,” Bob nodded. He gave Dot a little nod, and then turned back to Turbo.   
  
“We’re going to send you some system logs and ReadMe files Anna Code’s system that prove Alpha Starwell is a User, and that she comes from outside the Net.”  
  
“…This I’ve gotta see,” was all that Turbo could say.  
  
Several microseconds passed as Turbo received the data and proceeded to look it over. The Prime Guardian’s face was turned away from the screen and partially hidden behind a terminal monitor; it was impossible to see his expression as he read it.  
  
When he finally turned back to face the Mainframers, he wore an expression that was hard to interpret. It appeared to be a mix of several different emotions. “In all my life,” he finally said, “I never imaged I would ever see anything quite like this.” He let out a breath. “I didn’t even think such a thing was possible…”  
  
“It’s more than possible,” Anna spoke up. “The proof is walking around in this System right now.”  
  
Turbo’s expression hardened. “Tell me exactly what has been going on,” he ordered. “I want to know what has happened since the User first came into the Net.”  
  
Turbo listened, mostly silent, as the two Guardians related their tales. Anna Code provided a full, verbal report of everything that happened in her System upon the User-sprite’s arrival, though some of the details she gave were a tad… sketchy.   
  
The Prime Guardian furrowed his brow. He had been around the Net a long time and he could tell when someone was trying to flavor the truth to get the outcome they wanted. It didn’t mean they were lying per se, it simply meant they focused more on some facts than others instead of stating the whole truth.  
  
When she was finished, Bob gave his own report about everything that had happened in Mainframe since Starwell’s arrival. He also made a mention or two about Anna’s obsessive behavior toward getting the User-sprite, but he didn’t mention it too much.  
  
“I see,” Turbo said at last, when they finished. “Well… this is a lot to take in.”   
  
“But you must see that the User is a threat!” Anna exclaimed, earning herself looks from Bob and Dot. She ignored them.  
  
Turbo sighed. “Viruses are threats, too,” he said. “Even normal sprites or Guardians can be a threat, depending on the circumstances.” His brow furrowed. Obviously he was referring to viral infection. Daemon had proved that even Guardians were not immune to everything.  
  
“This is a golden opportunity to make a User answer for what they’ve done to us!” Anna snapped. “Starwell has nullified many people in my system, and she nullified a sector in this system!”  
  
“But she nullified sectors in your system before she ever came into the Net,” Bob pointed out yet again, for the sake of the public debate. “She didn’t know anything about you. When she nullified a sector in Mainframe, it was an accident because no one else was in the game with her.”  
  
“What if she gets caught in another game?” Turbo asked. “What if she wins that one, accidentally or not?”  
  
“We’ve taken care of that,” Dot spoke up. “Starwell was given an icon with some modifications; the games now register her as a User-based AI.”  
  
“Have you tested it?” Turbo raised an eyebrow.  
  
“A game just ended a while ago,” Bob confirmed. “It works just fine.”  
  
Turbo nodded, apparently satisfied with that point. His forehead remained creased as an invisible cloak of wariness seemed to settle upon his shoulders. There were certain Guardian protocols for nearly every instance in the Net, dealing with nearly every kind of known threat.  
  
But this… well, a top secret Guardian division had discussed the idea of what would happen--what action might be taken--if a User ended up physically inside the Net. The notion had seemed preposterous though, even if the division had certain… plans for dealing with such a thing if it ever happened, particularly if it got out of hand.  
  
Turbo trusted Bob’s instincts though, at least he wanted to. “Commander Matrix,” he finally said, addressing the Command Dot Com herself. “I’d like an unbiased opinion from someone who isn’t a Guardian. What do you make of the User?” His eyes peered directly into hers.  
  
Dot slowly removed her glasses and cleared her throat softly. “What do I think?” She gave a short, breathless chuckle. “I think a User being in the Net is… one of the most random things I’ve ever seen.”  
  
“In Mainframe, that’s saying something,” Bob couldn’t help but quip.  
  
“It… gives me pause,” Dot went on. “At least it did at first. But now… whenever I look at Starwell, especially when she doesn’t know I’m watching her, all I see is a lost girl. There’s something about her… she’s just so vulnerable.” Dot looked thoughtful. “Like a lost child who just wants to go home.”  
  
Turbo grunted and glanced at his terminal again, as if double-checking something on the screen. “I never believed we could ever meet the User,” he breathed. “Or I should say, a User. I never thought there was more than one…” He looked straight at Bob. “But you’re telling me there are billions out there?”  
  
“That’s what Starwell said,” Bob replied.  
  
“By the Code…” Turbo seemed dumbfounded. “Then Users may be as diverse as the peoples throughout the Net.” His eyes widened with fascination and awe at the notion, then he shook his head. There would be time to contemplate that more later.  
  
“Has the User shown any sign of hostility?” Turbo asked.  
  
“No,” Bob answered quickly.  
  
“She doesn’t want to hurt anyone,” Dot spoke up. “From what I’ve seen she’s young and very curious, but also troubled and confused.” She glanced down at the black-framed glasses in her hands. When she spoke again, she spoke in the big-sister kind of way she would for Little Enzo. “She just wants to go home… back to her family.”  
  
Turbo’s expression softened slightly as a little of Dot’s empathy got through. “A User kid,” he remarked aloud, more to himself than to the others. “Perhaps they are more similar to us than we ever thought… at least in some ways.”  
  
Anna had heard enough. She stepped up to the terminal and planted her palms firmly against its surface as her eyes bored into the screen like daggers. “What are you going to do about this?” she demanded. “We can’t just let a User roam free anywhere on the Net!”  
  
“Anna,” Turbo said, “I can appreciate your concerns, and I understand everything you’ve gone through.” He gave her a meaningful look. “You have suffered at the hands of the User more than most, and I understand you have deep personal reasons to dislike Starwell… especially since she admitted to playing the Game that nullified your family.”  
  
“Then do something about her!” Anna’s expression altered; something other than anger creeped into her expression. Something akin to desperation, pleading. “She must answer for what she has done!”  
  
“How can she answer for anything when she didn’t know she was doing it?” Bob put in. “She’s just a young sprite, and she’s still learning about us as we’re learning more about her.”  
  
“Enough!” Turbo held up a hand to thwart more arguing. This wasn’t getting them anywhere; it was just leading them in circles. “Look,” he said in a softer tone, “I am going to go over this data more thoroughly and discuss it with the Council. Until then…”  
  
He gave Anna a warning look, and then looked at Bob. “Just keep her there, watch over her… make sure she stays out of trouble. I’ll contact you again within the next cycle.”  
  
Anna had barely opened her mouth when the screen winked out. She stared at the blank screen for a moment, then whirled to face Bob. “Mark my words,” she growled. “All of you will regret this!” She turned to go.  
  
Bob grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. Their eyes met and locked; Bob held her outraged gaze evenly. “You will stay away from her,” he stated in a commanding tone.  
  
She pulled her arm out of his grasp and took a step back. “Are you ordering me to leave?”  
  
“The Principal Office, yes. I think that would be a good idea. But you can stay in the system until we hear from Turbo again, if you want.” Bob folded his arms. “But if you go anywhere near Starwell, you will have to deal with me and my friends.” He also gave Glitch an indicative pat. Neither of them wanted to point out how the Rogue Guardian had no Keytool.  
  
That meant Bob would have the upper hand in any confrontation between them.  
Anna’s rigid shoulders slumped just a little. The fact that she was now completely alone hit home more than ever. If she wanted to continue her quest of vengeance… she was on her own. All she had was an alliance with that Virus who’d been spotted around the city.  
She could still hold up her end of the bargain… and perhaps the Virus would destroy the User, or infect Starwell to the point where they would have to delete her. She could still use the objects in her satchel.  
  
“I’ll go get a hotel room,” Anna stated simply, heading toward the door. “Contact me when Turbo contacts you.” With that, she was gone.  
Bob and Dot watched her walk out, then turned to look at each other.  
  
“That is one stubborn sprite,” Dot said with a shake of her head.  
  
“Yeah… from what I hear, she always has been,” Bob concurred. “I still hope she might change her mind. If only she could get to know Starwell…”  
  
“Well, you can’t change everyone’s minds about everything,” Dot said with a slight shrug.  
  
“Yeah…” Bob decided to change the subject. “So, how are you doing?”  
  
“I’m doing okay, just busy,” she said. “I’m starting to wonder how this place stayed organized before I took over. When things are running smoothly, everything is fine, but there are moments when some people can’t seem to tell their bits from their bytes.”

“Then you’re the right woman for the job,” Bob smiled. “You always have been.”  
  
“Thanks, Bob.” Dot sighed. “Sometimes it’s a little overwhelming, but…”  
  
“You love every nano of it.”  
  
Dot beamed. “Oh yeah.” They gazed into each other’s eyes. They didn’t even realize they had moved closer together.   
  
“So,” Bob said in a softer tone, “do you… still want to um…” He coughed. “Marry me?” He’d been meaning to ask that for seconds, but one thing after another kept making him miss his opportunity.  
  
“Yes.” Dot didn’t even hesitate. Despite being busy, she’d had time to mull over everything that happened and deal with it all. They drew closer to each other, clasping their hands together… and they kissed.  
  
Dot broke it after a nano, giving Bob’s hand a squeeze as she pulled back. “I need to get back to work,” she told him. “But I’ll see you tonight.” She gave a slight wink.  
Bob smiled. Then he remembered his own responsibilities. “Hey, could you run a quick check on Starwell’s and Anna’s PIDs?” He wanted to make sure he knew where they were.  
  
It might even be preferable for both of them to be on opposite sides of the city, for Starwell’s sake if nothing else.  
  
“Sure.” Dot ran a quick check; the screen above their heads came to live. “It looks like Starwell is at my Diner,” she said, “and Matrix is there, too.”   
  
Bob nodded with approval. That meant the kid was staying out of trouble, and Matrix could keep an eye on her. “What about Anna?”  
  
“Looks like she’s somewhere in Kits Sector.”  
  
“Maybe she’s checking into a hotel,” was all Bob said.


	56. Chapter 56

The second flew by so quickly that Starwell couldn’t say if she enjoyed her time at Dot’s Diner or not.  
  
The first thing she did was consume a free bowl of chips and an energy shake that Matrix had given her. Part of her almost felt guilty that she couldn’t pay for it, but Matrix told her not to worry about it.   
  
By the time she finished eating the after-second rush was starting up; Matrix all but rolled his eyes as the booths and stools began to fill up. A couple of baby binomes began to wail softly as a family came in; their mothers cradled them and shushed them.  
  
Starwell continued sitting on her stool at the bar, not quite sure what to do with herself. Cecil made seating arrangements and took orders while Matrix worked on compiling food orders.  
  
Matrix’s violet eye just about lit up with relief when AndrAIa walked through the front door. “Need a hand, Sparky?” she asked with a sweet smile.  
  
“Right on time,” Matrix said with a nod. Then he scratched his chin as a thought occurred to him. “You know…” He eyed Starwell, as if considering something.  
  
“What?” Starwell asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”  
  
“Business has been good here lately… too good,” Matrix said as he came out from behind the counter. “AndrAIa,” he said, turning to his girlfriend first, “since you’ve been helping out here so much lately, I’d like to hire you.”  
  
“Well, I’m happy to help,” AndrAIa beamed with a slight tip of her head. “But I’ll admit the extra Units would be nice; there is this new bike I’ve had my eye on at Datamount’s Warehouse Store.” She tapped her Icon and changed into the Diner’s uniform.  
  
“…You and your bikes.” Matrix rolled his eyes. “Now,” he turned to Starwell, “how would you like to work here, too?”  
  
“Me?” Starwell blinked. “You’re offering me a job?”  
  
“I can show you how to compile food in the kitchen,” AndrAIa smiled.  
  
“I think me or Cecil better do that,” Matrix said, and leaned closer to Starwell to murmur, “Let’s just say some ingredients don’t mix.”  
  
AndrAIa scoffed and made a gesture of slight exasperation. “Can’t a girl make one little mistake?” she said.  
  
“If you call having to recompile the entire kitchen a ‘little mistake’…” Matrix grunted, “No. Just be glad Dot didn’t see that.”  
  
“Whatever,” AndrAIa shrugged. “I’ll start taking orders. Let me know when you want me to start serving customers.” She walked away, headed toward another part of the Diner.  
  
“Come on,” Matrix said, steering the girl toward the kitchen. “You’re going to learn a few simple recipes, and you’re gonna get them right from the start.”  
  
“Uh… okay,” Starwell said uncertainly.  
  
“That’s the best way to master cooking,” Matrix muttered as they walked through the back door labeled ‘Employees Only’. “If you get a recipe input into your processor incorrectly… sometimes you might never get it right.” he cast a meaningful glance in AndrAIa’s direction, then allowed the door to swing shut behind them.  
  
Time seemed to fly by after that. It took Starwell a few tries to master the compiling process for even simple recipe codes, but at least she didn’t cause any system tears; the worst she did was create tangible errors that wouldn’t be processed correctly if consumed. Matrix warned her that she had to be careful of those kinds of mistakes; they could cause upset stomachs, or even vomiting.  
  
AndrAIa and Cecil worked hard taking orders, cleaning up messes, serving meals and cleaning up messes while Matrix and Starwell compiled the food. Every so often Matrix would send Starwell out to clean up a mess or take orders as well during the busier moments.   
  
Eventually the Diner cleared out, with only a few patrons here and there. Starwell couldn’t remember feeling so exhausted in quite some time.  
  
“What a second!” AndrAIa exclaimed as she sat on a stool next to the fatigued User-sprite. “The Diner hasn’t been that busy for minutes!”  
  
Starwell was still amazed at how different time was in the Net. But at least it meant that when she did finally get home… barely any time would have passed there. Greg was probably still passed out on the couch, Aunt Marge was probably still sleeping, and Uncle Frank was most likely still smoking his stogie.  
  
“I wish I could tell everybody back home that I got a job,” Starwell remarked with a little laugh. “I’ve been trying to get a job for a long time back in my town. No luck.”  
  
“Are jobs hard to get where you come from?” AndrAIa asked curiously.   
  
“Well… let’s just say that where I live, the economy kinda sucks right now,” Starwell answered. “There’s a lot of unemployment and too many people without jobs.”  
  
“Why is that?”  
  
Starwell groaned, rubbing her temples. “It’s… complicated.” She left it at that, and AndrAIa didn’t press the subject. “I’m so tired,” Starwell said with a yawn. “I think I could use a nap.”  
  
“Why don’t you go rest in one of the booths?” AndrAIa suggested. She could tell the girl needed some rest, and there wasn’t much left to do anyway.  
  
“That sounds good to me. Thank you.”  
  
AndrAIa patted her shoulder, and the girl walked over to the nearest empty booth and sat down, resting her arms atop the table and laying her head down on them. AndrAIa watched the User-sprite for a moment, then went to finish her cleanup duties.  
  
Once she finished that and Matrix finished organizing the kitchen and going over the inventory list, both of them sat down in a booth near Starwell’s to take a breather. “That was quite a second,” Matrix commented.  
  
“Yeah, it was,” AndrAIa said. She eyed the napping User-Sprite for a moment, thoughtfully. “You know something?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I find it amazing that no matter what happens here, life always goes on.” AndrAIa gave Matrix a half-smile. “Think about it, lover. I’m probably one of the first game sprites to leave her game to live in a system… and now we have an actual User living among us.”  
  
“Yeah… we just gotta make sure she stays out of trouble.” Matrix narrowed his eyes slightly. “No more trips to Maxwell’s. That Shovelware is as sleazy as a viral, and…” He shook his head slightly. “The Pup can’t even hold her liquor.”  
  
AndrAIa gave a little nod. “She’ll learn,” she said. “She has to make some mistakes because experience is the best teacher,” she added knowingly. “Starwell is almost a young woman. Besides, Sparky, remember how young we were the first time we played Hard Thunder?”  
  
“Yeah… I remember that.” Hard Thunder was a graphic game filled with heavy, mature content. AndrAIa and Matrix had been somewhat older than 1.1 sprites by the time they played it, but that was still young by Net-standards.  
  
It had also been the first time both of them had seen full nudity… among other things. It had been soon after that that both of them had learned the basics of how regular sprites became… deeply intimate.  
  
Technically both of them had been too young at that point to… experiment in that way. Bob, Dot, and many other grownups they’d known in Mainframe never would have allowed it. But since they’d only had each other, and they were all alone…  
  
Well, no one would ever know except them.  
  
The two of them finished their energy shakes in silence. Over the next few microseconds the few remaining patrons began to wander out, paying their tabs and leaving an occasional tip. It wasn’t long before the Diner was completely empty, save for Cecil, the still-sleeping Starwell, Matrix and AndrAIa.  
  
“Guess I should close down.” Matrix stood. “Looks like Cecil has already powered down for his rest cycle.”

“Yep.” AndrAIa gave Matrix a peck on the cheek. “I’ll wake Starwell and get her home.”  
  
“Okay.” Matrix hugged her, and then they parted.  
  
“Hey, Starwell?” AndrAIa said softly, giving the girl a gentle tap on the shoulder. “Gotta wake up, Starwell; we’re getting ready to close.”  
  
It took the girl a moment to fully awaken. She blinked a few times, as if trying to clear her processor and remember where she was. “Oh,” she said after a moment. She sat up and stretched her arms as far as they would go. “How long was I sleeping?”  
  
“A couple of microseconds,” AndrAIa said. “How do you feel?”  
  
Starwell rubbed the back of her neck. “Okay. Ugh, I always get stiff when I sleep sitting up.” She’d gotten plenty of stiff muscles and joints when she lived and hid in the Ghetto.  
  
“Let’s get you back to the Principal Office,” AndrAIa urged gently.  
  
Starwell nodded and stifled a yawn. The idea of going to bed appealed greatly to her.  
  
After Matrix finished closing up shop, he tapped his Icon twice and changed back into his Renegade uniform. He didn’t even bother to say goodnight to Cecil; he would have been ignored anyway.  
  
He headed outside, double-checked the doors to make sure they were locked, then he threw out his zip board and sped off into the sky. He’d called his sister during a spare moment at the Diner; he knew about the informal meeting with Turbo. He also knew that Anna Code was currently staying at a hotel.  
  
Matrix did not trust the Rogue Guardian; he still felt that she was up to something. He also wanted to see if there was any sign of Megabyte… anywhere.

But first thing first; he would swing by the hotel and see if anything fishy was going on there. After that, he would go on a solo-man patrol for a while. If there was still nothing happening by the time he’d finished… he would head back to his room and get some sleep.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
  
Anna Code succeeded in getting a modest hotel room, although she needed authorization from Bob before she could finalize it. Apparently being outside of her jurisdiction had a few more setbacks than she’d originally thought.  
  
Still, she didn’t need much. She used a few of her Units to order some food and an energy drink; she was running low on currency, but she hoped she wouldn’t have to stay in Mainframe past the next second or two anyway.  
  
Nevertheless… she probably couldn’t afford to count on Turbo to make the right decision about Starwell.   
  
Once her dinner was compiled and delivered, she ate it in thoughtful silence as she mulled over everything that had happened. When she finished, she discarded the containers and turned her attention to the satchel she’d set on the stand next to her bed.  
  
What exactly do I have in here? she wondered silently. Since Cappaten had left her, she couldn’t even scan the items for thorough examination, or even peace of mind. She reached inside the bag and pulled out the small box-shaped device, turning it over in her palm as she eyed it curiously.   
  
If it was anything like the Phoenix Virus she would have to be especially careful with it. She didn’t need to blow up the hotel, especially while she was in it.  
  
What happened next caused her to flinch in alarm. She nearly dropped the little box when a high-pitched voice, only slightly muffled by the box, screamed, “HEY, IS SOMEBODY OUT THERE?! LET ME OUT OF HERE!”  
  
Anna dropped it. The little box clanged slightly as it hit the floor at her feet. The soft glow within it brightened almost to the point where it hurt to look at it. The little box then shifted and jolted, as if something on the inside was banging around in an attempt to free itself.  
  
“What are you?” Anna snatched her pistol from her belt and aimed it at the box. Her weapon was not the deadliest thing in the Net, but it could cause digits to fall apart. The least it did was cause mild fragmentation; the worst it did was cause full deletion. It depended on how complex or durable the target was, and in some cases, how many times she hit it.  
  
“LET ME OUT!” the thing screeched in an ear-splitting voice. “LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT FRAG YOU!!”  
  
“Not until you tell me your filename and format,” Anna stated firmly. She wasn’t about to release another virus, especially not in her hotel room.  
  
There was a pause. “Why is that necessary? I’m being held prisoner in here! HELP!”  
  
“Because I found you in a virus’s lair,” Anna replied. “You could be a dangerous format… or you could be infected.” She cocked her pistol. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t delete you.”  
  
“Alright!” the voice squeaked. “My name is Keylogger. I don’t know why that insane woman put me in here. I swear, I was just minding my own business when she appeared out of nowhere, and I’ve been trapped in this pathetic box ever since!”

Anna frowned. It was possible that the former resident virus of that island had trapped an unsuspecting program into containment. She didn’t have her Keytool so she couldn’t scan it, but the fact that this program was talking to her was a good sign. In some ways, at least.  
  
“What were you doing on that island, so close to a virus?” she wanted to know.  
The entity inside the box all but gulped. “I was just curious,” the voice finally said. “I didn’t really know there was a virus there.”  
  
Anna hesitated. “Alright,” she finally said, “I will let you out.” She leveled her pistol and crouched next to the box. “But no funny business, or you’ll get it right between the eyes.”  
  
“Oh don’t worry. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior!”  
  
Anna grunted, and she twisted a release mechanism.  
  
There was a bright glow of light and then a new figure stood before the Rogue Guardian. It was fairly short; the top of its head was level with Anna’s kneecaps. It was… a penguin, purple in color with a light, lavender belly.  
  
“Thank you! Thank you!” Keylogger said with a dramatic flourish. The penguin moved in a fluidic, almost squishy fashion. Its voice was somewhat squeaky, and it was impossible to tell its gender. “And now,” it said, “I will take my leave!”  
  
Anna could barely open her mouth to protest when the creature sprinted across the hotel room. Keylogger zipped to the nearest window, peered out, and then matter-of-factly smashed it open.   
  
“Hey!” Anna yelled as she dashed toward the window, but it was too late; the swift program had already jumped out. Her eyes widened fractionally as she observed it bouncing and rolling along the ground, almost like a stretchy piece of rubber, absorbing the impact of its landing before sprinting off.

Anna swore under her breath as she gripped the windowsill and maneuvered herself through, being careful of the edges and the broken glass. Once she was out on the ledge, she careful decompressed her Zip Board and got onto it.  
  
“Alright, where did you go?” Anna growled between clenched teeth. There was something slimy about that program she just didn’t like. Somehow she doubted Keylogger would cause enough ruckus to distract all of Mainframe, as Megabyte wanted, but…  
  
Well, her Guardian Code was still in effect. She wanted to keep an eye on that program, and see what it would do.


	57. Chapter 57

Anna Code started out on her zip board, flying high enough to get a good view of her surroundings. Once she spotted the chubby purple penguin heading down one of the streets, she jumped off of her zip board and took off in hot pursuit.

The edge of her Guardian sense told her that a presence had taken notice of her movements, and this figure had started to follow her. She ignored it; she couldn’t afford to lose her quarry now.

The chase proceeded through the streets for a short time. Keylogger would sometimes waddle down the sidewalk but then, just as Anna got close, it would zip about and zigzag like a rocket.

How in the Net could a penguin move so fast, or be so crafty?

Anna growled through clenched teeth as she picked up the pace. She had to catch that sneaky little devil!

She saw it turn a sharp corner just up ahead; she skidded on her heels and swerved, nearly throwing herself off-balance to make the turn without losing speed or falling flat on her face.

The penguin was waddling in-between two buildings that were very close together. The narrow space didn’t allow much room for bouncing or zigzagging, but the program only had to keep going straight until it reached the street again.

However, it didn’t get that far. A large figure appeared directly in its path. Keylogger smacked so firmly into the unmoving figure that its highly flexible form flattened against it almost comically. The unfortunate program grunted in pain as it peeled off like a sticky piece of paper and drooped onto the ground.

A moment later Keylogger’s body puffed back out as if nothing had happened. It then sat up, rubbed its head, and worked its beak. “Ow,” was all it said.

Anna Code had skidded to a halt a couple of meters behind it. She raised her eyebrows when she saw who had stepped into the alley, then she narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.

“Well now, what have we here?” Matrix already had Gun in hand, though his mechanical eye wasn’t glowing… yet.

Keylogger’s beady eyes blinked. It was staring up at the massive, burly figure that loomed over it. “W-where did you come from?” it squeaked.

“I could ask you the same thing.” The green-skinned figure took a step closer and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck. Keylogger yelped and flailed its limbs about, but this only permitted data bytes to fall from the data storage compartments on its Bitmap.

Matrix maintained his grip on Keylogger as he bent down to pick up one of the data bytes. “Just what I suspected,” he said darkly, and glared into its face. “You’re Spyware. You’ve been hoarding data about Mainframe and everyone in it.”  
  
Keylogger blanched. “It’s nothing personal!” it exclaimed. “It’s j-just strictly b-business!”  
  
“Gun, target lock.”  
  
Keylogger’s eyes went absolutely wide as a red mark appeared on its torso. “W-what do you w-want?” it trembled. “I-I’ll do anything!”  
  
“For starters, drop all of the data you’ve gathered,” Matrix growled darkly.

The penguin didn’t like that idea in the slightest. It had worked hard for that data! But… if it meant staying alive… “Fine,” it gulped, and its entire form drooped. It reached into the folds of its furry bitmap, pulling out pockets of stored data and datapads containing hosts of information.  
  
“You’ve got stuff here from the Supercomputer!” Matrix blinked as he eyed the contents on the ground. His features darkened as his fingers tightened around the squirming program’s bitmap, causing it to squeak in pain.  
  
“That’s not all I’ve got!” Keylogger said as it dropped another data packet to the ground. Its beak opened, suddenly revealing a row of pointy sharp teeth that appeared from nowhere. The penguin promptly bit down on the Renegade’s arm.  
  
Matrix cried out as the creature managed to squirm out of his grasp. He cursed as it ran past him; he grabbed Gun and aimed, but then it vanished around the corner of a building. He ran after it in hot pursuit; there was no losing it now. Not with a target lock on it.

Anna followed closely behind as the Renegade jogged quickly down a couple of streets. One thing they had in common, at least, was that both of them were in excellent physical condition. She could almost outrun him due to her lighter, less muscular, and more slender form, but she didn’t bother. He had the thing targeted, after all; he knew where they were going better than she.

Besides, she had a feeling that if she got in his way… it might not end well.

They didn’t even need to get close. Once Matrix had a clear shot, he simply acted. “Gun, Command Line. Full Delete!” And he fired.

Keylogger’s scream echoed throughout the streets as its form was consumed by a deadly blast. Its form flickered, then winked out of existence in an aura of energy.

Then there was silence.

Matrix matter-of-factly returned Gun to his hip. He eyed the other sprite, who now stood a short distance away. “Where did that thing come from?” he asked, eyeing her with suspicion.

“I’m not sure,” Anna lied. “I found it in my hotel room.”

The Renegade grunted. It was usually difficult to tell how Spyware or Trojans got into systems. Once they were discovered, it was even more difficult to tell how long they had been there, especially since they were good at hiding.

“Well, I took care of it, Guardian,” Matrix said as he started to walk past her. “Go back to your hotel room.”

Something about the way he said that riled Anna. “I could have handled this just find even if you hadn’t shown up,” she said stiffly.

“Yeah, you had that thing right where you wanted it.”

“Don’t you have some dropped data to pick up?” Anna snapped. It wasn’t a good idea to leave sensitive information lying around in some alley.

Matrix gave her a look. “That’s where I’m going. I’ll gather it up and take it to Phong. I wouldn’t want to trust it in your hands anyway; something might happen to it.” With that, he walked away.

Anna’s hands clenched into fists at her sides. “Yeah, just go on, you arrogant Cruft.” She turned on her heel and began to stalk off.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“Bob… this place is a mess.”  
  
Bob frowned somewhat as he sat down on the sofa next to Dot. “I straightened it up before you came here.”  
  
“When? Last cycle?”  
  
“Hey, you know I’ve been busy lately.”  
  
Dot nodded thoughtfully. “We all have.”  
  
Overall the apartment wasn’t that untidy, although there were a few things scattered about on the floor and on the table. Most of the clutter on the table had been moved so that they could have dinner there.  
  
“I could help you keep this place more organized,” Dot offered as she smiled at Bob.  
  
“Haven’t you got your hands in enough data-pots as it is?” Bob smiled in return. He rested his arm across the back of the sofa, behind Dot’s head.  
  
“I’m sure I can squeeze you in, Guardian,” Dot said as she nestled a little closer to Bob.   
  
“I think you’d have to move in to do that,” Bob chuckled lightly. His arm found its way around Dot’s shoulders; she rested her head against his shoulder.  
  
“Or you could always move in with me,” Dot countered flirtingly.  
  
“I’m not sure how your Dad would feel about that,” Bob coughed.   
  
Dot chuckled. “I’m a big girl now,” she uttered playfully. “And as Command.Com, I can do a lot of things.” She ran her fingers along his chest, feeling the firm muscles underneath his torso.  
  
“I think we should get married before we move in together,” Bob told her sincerely.  
  
“Why Bob, I had no idea you were so… old-fashioned,” Dot teased.  
  
“Just the way I was compiled, I guess.” He stroked her hair with his digits. Everything about her just seemed so perfect, here and now.   
  
The only things that could ruin the moment were a Game Cube or possibly Megabyte. Bob refused to dwell on that thought; with his luck, he might jinx the night.  
  
“Bob… there is something I wanted to tell you.” Dot shifted to look Bob in the eyes.  
  
“What is it?”   
  
Dot pressed her lips into a thin line, as if gathering her thoughts. “About what happened, when I almost married that… ‘other Bob’…” She swallowed. She did not want to refer to him as Megabyte right now. “I thought by marrying him I could wipe away the past and be happy again. But…”  
  
She nestled against him. “I’ve realized now that I wouldn’t have been. I was trying to marry a fantasy, from the cycles when everything was… normal.” She hugged him tightly, and she felt Bob’s arms encircling her.  
  
“I know,” Bob whispered into her hair. “You just… wanted things to be like they used to. I can see you wanted a touch of… innocence.” He thought briefly of Little Enzo.   
  
“Bob, you’ve been through so much, and so have I. The wars have been terrible, and it won’t ever end, at least not until Megabyte is stopped.” She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to prevent the tears that threatened to fall. “And even if we do find Megabyte and deal with him… what then?”   
  
“What do you mean?” Bob gently caressed her cheek, then wiped away a bit of moisture that had fallen from her eye.  
  
“We have a User in the Net. What if more come?” Dot couldn’t prevent a slight sniffle.  
  
Bob had never seen Dot Matrix like this before. He’d seen Dot angry, even furious, and he’d seen her sad and upset. But he’d never seen her this close to being broken. How had she managed to hold herself together during the Viral Wars, especially after she lost her family and the Principal Office?   
  
Perhaps in a way, it was no wonder she had been so callous when she’d sent Little Enzo into a game during Daemon’s uprising, ordering the Young sprite to stay in the games until he grew up. That action had ultimately saved the entire Net in the end, but still…  
  
“Dot…” Bob held her tightly now as she sobbed openly into his chest, letting it all out. Somehow Dot managed to keep a strong front when she was working and when she was barking out orders. Usually she even tried to keep her composure intact in front of him, but now… she was letting it all out.  
  
“Oh Dot…” Bob’s strong arms held her comfortingly against him. “I knew everything had affected you deeply, but… I had no idea how much…”  
  
Dot managed to regain her composure enough to speak, though she didn’t look at him. “When I lost Dad… I still had my little brother, and then I had you. I still had Mainframe. But when I lost everything…”  
  
“You have me now,” Bob told her soothingly. “And Mainframe is fine, and it will continue to be fine as long as protect it. You’ve got an older brother and a younger brother… and you even have your Dad back.”  
  
He cupped her chin in his hand, lifting her face to look at him. “And I’m going to marry you,” he smiled, “if you’ll still have me.”  
  
Dot smiled, blinking away tears. “I don’t think I can do this without you,” she told him.  
  
“Then stop pushing me away.”  
  
Dot kissed him, hard. In that moment both of them became entangled in their passion. The passing of time was forgotten as they let down their emotional barriers and simply focused on each other. Dot’s vulnerability became something else as she let the emotional wall she’d formed between her and Bob crumble.  
  
The Command.Com felt as though a missing file had been input into her sprite-form, as though a piece of her had clicked into place that she never knew was absent before.   
  
Dot Matrix had found love. She had found her other half. She simply never realized how much she needed him before, and she needed Bob exactly as he was. Not a sprite-copy from the past who was untainted by war, but someone who’d been there to see it all and would continue to go through the Recycling Bin and back with her.  
  
With him by her side, and with her family… she could handle anything, even if a User came to harm the Net.  
  
“When this is over… we are getting married,” she breathed. Both of them were panting lightly from their passionate kiss.

Bob opened his mouth as if to say something, then nodded. He could tell what she was thinking; they needed to make sure the System was safe before anything else. Besides, it wouldn’t do for their wedding to be interrupted.  
  
“Just be with me tonight,” Dot smiled.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Anna Code didn’t return to her hotel room immediately. Once she was certain the Renegade had departed, she did another sweep over the area.  
  
After all… those buggers could be more clever than they appeared. It was quite possible that Keylogger could have screamed bloody murder over a small bit-wound and used a hidden file command to conceal itself.  
  
The Rogue Guardian once again cursed under her breath, feeling the loss of her Keytool more and more like a physical ache. Not only did its absence hinder her from doing normal scans or other procedures, it was as though a piece of her core coding had left her.  
  
Just make do, she told herself firmly, gritting her teeth. It was all she could do for the moment.  
  
She was just about to give up her search and go back to the hotel when a noise caught her attention. The faint squeak of a null caused her to turn and look toward a nearby wall, her sharp senses enabling her to be keenly aware of her surroundings.  
  
If she hadn’t looked in that direction at that specific instant, she would have missed a familiar, purple face peering out of the confines of a hidden file command. Realizing too late that it was visible, Keylogger shrieked and began to bolt.  
  
Anna growled through clenched teeth as she yanked her pistol from her belt and began to pursue on her zip board. “You’re not getting away from me this time, Spyware!” she yelled as she went after it.  
  
The chase through the streets lasted a little while, until Anna finally cornered the little beast in a dead-end alley. The Spyware gulped audibly as it pressed itself up against the farthest wall, its eyes growing wide as the Guardian hovered closer, pistol cocked and ready.  
  
“Got you now,” Anna growled as she aimed, and her finger began to tighten on the trigger. At least she could get rid of one system menace, perhaps.  
  
“W-wait!” Keylogger’s arms flew into the air. “M-maybe we can work something out.”  
  
Anna scoffed. “Yeah, right. Like what?” Her eyes narrowed into slits.  
  
“I am a fully functional Spyware program, I have many capabilities!” Keylogger said, pleadingly. “If there’s information you need gathered on someone, or if you need me to sneak into someplace… just say the word.” It gulped. “I’ll do it in exchange for my life.”  
  
The Rogue Guardian actually hesitated. “Hmm.”   
  
Keylogger blinked. It perked up marginally. “Yes?” It sounded hopeful.  
  
“There is something you may be able to help with.” Anna stroked her chin thoughtfully, eyeing the smaller program with renewed interest.  
  
The Spyware lowered its arms halfway, relaxing tentatively. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it,” it promised. “Just let me leave this system afterwards.”  
  
“You better not double-cross me,” Anna said sternly.  
  
“Oh, I won’t!” Keylogger dropped its arms and smiled. “Hey, I owe you one anyway for, you know, letting me out of that box. I’ll do anything for you, so long as you let me leave afterward.”  
  
The Guardian grunted, then grabbed the Spyware roughly by the scruff of neck. Keylogger grunted in indignation, but allowed itself to be carried. “Come on,” Anna said.  
  
“Where are we going?” Keylogger demanded.  
  
“Back to the hotel. Then we’ll discuss the deal.”  
  
“Oh… okay.” Keylogger swallowed.


	58. Chapter 58

“It is good you have brought this hoard of information to me, my son,” Phong said as he sorted through the collection. “It appalls me how much data this Spyware program was able to glean from Mainframe, even the Supercomputer!”  
  
“What are you going to do with it?” Matrix asked. They were standing within one of the rooms of the Principal Office; Phong had the data scattered all over a table, although the wizened old Administrator was rapidly organizing it into piles and stacks.  
  
“I will keep it safe until I have a chance to go through it properly,” Phong said. His head then turned and extended on its skinny neck as he looked up at Matrix. “You are certain the Spyware has been deleted?” he asked.  
  
“Yeah, that other Guardian did it,” Matrix said. “She shot it.”  
  
Phong gave a little nod. “I see,” was all he said on the subject. He continued to sort through the data.  
  
“So,” Matrix spoke up after a moment, “have you found a way to send Starwell home yet?” He doubted it, especially since even Bob and Mouse hadn’t figured out a way to get the kid home yet. But… he knew they had to try. If he could get back to Mainframe despite dire odds… she could get home, too.  
  
In the meantime, they’d just have to make sure the kid was safe in Mainframe, and that she had things to do. The job a the Diner would probably help with that.  
  
“I am afraid not,” Phong said with a sigh. “It is no easy task to get into a secure System such as that one. That User… her Uncle…” Phong tilted his head to one side, as if it felt odd to refer to a User of a System as a Mainframer’s bit-relative. “Apparently wishes to keep his system closed off and secure.”  
  
“But it must have Net ports,” Matrix said. “It’s how she got out of the System.”  
  
“Through a portal created by her Keytool, it would seem.” Phong replied. He finished organizing the data, and he withdrew his hands from the table. “Leaving a system via portal is easy,” he said, turning to face the big sprite. “Getting back in however… well, that is far more difficult.”  
  
“Yeah,” Matrix sighed. A short time later, he left; there wasn’t much else he could do there right now.  
  
So why did he get an uneasy feeling in his stomach?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Once back in her room, Anna Code plunked the Spyware on one of the chairs and locked the door. “Stay there,” she commanded firmly.  
  
“Oh, I won’t go anywhere,” Keylogger said with a nod. “A deal’s a deal, after all. And… I’ve got nothing on me to bargain with anymore anyway.” It patted its pockets forlornly.  
  
Anna placed her hands on her hips--one hand came rather close to her holstered gun, just in case. “Would you be able to slip into this system’s Principal Office without being detected?” she asked, straight to the point.  
  
The penguin straightened, its entire form perking up. “I have successfully infiltrated it hours ago… before that loopy virus captured me and put me in a box.” It scowled at the mere mention of its imprisonment.  
  
Anna’s lips curved upward. “Good. Then I do indeed have a favor for you to perform.”  
  
“Name it, and it’s done.” Keylogger saluted.  
  
Anna snatched her satchel from the floor and pawed through it briefly. Her eyes widened as she handled one item in particular, as though just realizing what it really was. “Are you aware of a sprite called Alpha Starwell?” she asked as she turned the object over in her palm.  
  
“Not particularly,” Keylogger shook its head. “As you saw, all my data got confiscated. I do remember some things, up until the virus grabbed me, but…” It pursed her lips. “I’m not aware of any sprites by that name.”  
  
“Well, this is no ordinary sprite anyway.” Anna held out the small object. “I want you to take this to Starwell. But don’t let her or anyone else see you. Just get as close as you can, and open this container.”  
  
Keylogger sniffed at it. “What is it?”  
  
“A little gift for her.”  
  
The Spyware looked suspicious. “This is a trap, isn’t it?”  
  
“Well, if you don’t want to do this…” Anna withdrew the item and grabbed her pistol from her belt.  
  
Keylogger’s eyes flew wide. “N-no,” it said. “I’ll do it.”  
  
Anna nodded approvingly. “Good. Just take this,” she tossed it to the smaller program like a baseball and it was caught as such, “and do what I asked. After that, I’ll personally open a portal for you to leave this system. Deal?”  
  
Keylogger clucked softly, but held the object securely against its chest. “Alright, deal,” it said. “I’ll come back here after the job is done. You’d better be waiting.”  
  
“Oh, I will be,” Anna sneered. She watched as the Spyware exited through the window, and she sat down and crossed her legs. Now she would simply wait and, if she’d played her cards right, perhaps that particular item would take care of the User and the Spyware all in one blow.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell slept soundly in her room within the Principal Office. It was actually the most sound sleep she’d had since entering the Net, leaving her feeling well-rested. The effects of the games and everything else that happened seemed to melt away temporarily, into a seamless and blissful rest.  
  
For a while, just a while… Starwell was home. However, this ended up giving way to a dream. A dream that would make her question everything.  
  
She stood in the middle of Mainframe’s city, in the same park where she and Bob had walked and spoke of the User world. She wore the same dark blue pants, silver boots and light gray shirt that was always part of her bitmap. Gizmo remained snugly on her arm.  
  
But there was another sprite there. A girl who wore a pair of jeans and a fancy shirt that glimmered in the light in colors of gold and black.  
  
Starwell frowned at the sight of her. That shirt looked exactly like her own best shirt back home, the one she wore whenever she went out someplace nice--or simply felt like dressing up a bit. A lot of girls enjoyed simply looking nice in clothes that looked stylish or fancy.  
  
“Hey, who are you?” Starwell asked, approaching the other girl.  
  
The sprite turned to face her. They looked at each other. Starwell’s eyes went absolutely wide and she gasped.  
  
“I’m Hannah Forbes,” the other girl said.   
  
Starwell couldn’t find her voice. This was exactly what she had looked like before she entered the Net, except she hadn’t been wearing that shirt. It was strange to herself this way, with normal brown hair instead of black, and Caucasian skin instead of light brownish olive.  
  
“B-but how is this possible?” Starwell stammered. “I’m Hannah Forbes, too!”  
  
The other girl shook her head. “No, you’re not. You’re Alpha Starwell now. You have been ever since you fooled around with Uncle Frank’s computer and came into the Net.”  
  
“No, I’m still Hannah!” Starwell insisted. “I haven’t changed!”  
  
“No? Just look at yourself,” Hannah eyed her form up and down. “You’re one of the Net-people now. Admit it, you’re starting to like it here, even more than your real home.”  
  
“That’s not true!” Starwell stamped her foot. “I like my friends here, but it’s not home.”  
  
“Then why haven’t you asked more questions about getting home?” Hannah asked. “Come on, we both know that when you really want something you obsess over it until you get it, or until you have to accept it’ll never happen.”  
  
“I haven’t had time to ask questions,” Starwell snapped. “Besides… I’d probably just get in the way.”  
  
Hannah shook her head, giving a bemused smirk. “That’s not it at all. You’re conflicted, Starwell. You want to go back to what’s familiar, what you’ve always known, but there’s a part of you that likes it here.”  
  
“That’s bullshit! These people have been helping me, that’s all. I want to GO HOME!”  
  
“Yeah, yeah. But let’s be real here; if that happens you won’t exactly be heartbroken, will you?” Hannah narrowed her eyes and stepped closer, until they were face-to-face. “These people care about you. You’re kidding yourself if you don’t see it. They give you a lot more attention than your real family back home. They’re more like the family you’ve always dreamed of than your real family, aren’t they?”  
  
“No--!”  
  
Hannah jabbed a finger into Starwell’s chest. “AREN’T THEY?!”  
  
“NO!”  
  
Starwell awoke with a start, panting. Her slightly dry mouth and sore throat were the main indicators that she’d been shouting or yelling in her sleep.  
  
Gizmo was squawking with concern. The Keytool chirping went on for a few nanos until Starwell managed to slow her breathing and find her voice.  
  
“I’m… okay. Just a bad dream,” she swallowed. She then pushed herself off to the bed, to her feet, and went into the bathroom. She turned on the faucet in the sink to allow cold, flowing liquid energy to pour over her hands and then she slapped some in her face.  
  
That made her feel a little more refreshed. It also seemed to clear some of the fuzz out of her processor.  
  
Just as she stepped out of the bathroom and toward her bed, she heard a light knock on the door. “Starwell, Honey? Are ya doing okay in there?” a familiar voice drawled.  
  
Starwell hesitated, unsure if she really wanted to talk right now. She quickly decided she wasn’t in the mood to go back to sleep and she didn’t really want to be alone. She walked over to the door and pressed the opening mechanism.  
  
“Hi, Mouse,” the girl said.  
  
“I heard you shouting in there… are ya doing alright?” Mouse’s sharp eyes glanced around the room behind her. Seeing nothing amiss, she directed her attention on Starwell herself. The girl looked fine, if a bit shaken.  
  
“I had… bad dream, that’s all,” Starwell said with a shrug.  
  
“Do ya wanna talk about it?”  
  
“Not really.” Starwell stretched her arms above her head and yawned softly. “I just want to walk around a little I guess. Wanna come with me?”  
  
“Sure,” Mouse said with a motion of her hand. “I was just on my way to the mess hall to grab a bite to eat anyway. We could both get something.”  
  
“Okay, I guess.” Starwell shrugged.  
  
“Remember that it’s important to keep yourself energized,” Mouse cautioned as they walked. “If your energy levels get too low it can lead to going offline… possibly deletion.”  
  
Starwell looked a bit horrified at the thought. “Yeah… we gotta keep ourselves healthy like that in the User world, too,” she said. She supposed she hadn’t thought much about that, though. At times she felt weak or sluggish if she hadn’t eaten or drank any form of consumable energy, but she hadn’t thought such a thing would be harmful to her person.  
  
Soon the two female sprites were seated in the mess hall, each with an energy beverage in hand. Apparently it was still very early, so that meant there were very few others in the room.  
  
Little did they know that an invisible presence was watching them from an obscure location, further masked by a built-in hidden-file feature. It watched them intently, listening to every word they spoke.  
  
“So uh… how’s it going?” Starwell didn’t look up from her energy drink.  
  
Mouse took a large sip of her own drink and set it down. “Fine, I suppose.” She raised a fiery red brow. “Is there anything in particular you wanna ask me?”  
  
Starwell sighed. “Well, I was wondering if there’s been any… well, progress. You know, in finding a way for me to get home.”  
  
Now it was Mouse’s turn to sigh. “Sorry, sweetie. I was actually up half the night trying to help crack the security.” She looked thoughtful. “I don’t know anything about your Uncle, but I’d have to say he’s good. Possibly as good as my Daddy.” She downed the rest of her beverage and set aside her glass. A soft belch escaped her lips--not loud or obnoxious, but just enough to be un-lady-like.  
  
“Heh,” Starwell chuckled tiredly. There was barely any humor in the sound. “Everybody in my family always said he’s been obsessed with his computer--his system--and everything about it.” She glanced around the room and then looked down at her drink. “I still wonder if part of him knew about all of this somehow. You know, that you guys exist.”  
  
“It’s a possibility I suppose,” Mouse said.  
  
“What about Anna Code, though?” Starwell blinked, as that thought came to her. “Does this mean she can’t go back to that system, either?”  
  
“I would say so, Sugar. That’s probably part of the reason why Bob and Dot are even letting her stick around.” Mouse shrugged her shoulders. “The rogue Guardian is out of bounds, but she also has no place to go if she leaves here.”  
  
“But what if she… tries something?” Starwell gulped.  
  
“Hon, she can’t try much without direct authorization from the Prime Guardian right now.” Mouse made a small noise of disgust, as if she didn’t think much of Turbo for some reason. “If she does get out of line, I’m sure Bob has the authority to arrest her… or to call the Guardians and have them take her to the Supercomputer.”  
  
“Yeah well… I hope it doesn’t come to that.” Starwell swallowed. “I don’t know, I guess I just can’t blame her for feeling the way she does.” She looked away. “I have nullified, even in this system. I mean, I know you guys fixed that with my Icon, but that change what I’ve already done.”  
  
“Now look, sugar.” Mouse stood and walked around the table to stand next to her. “I don’t think you could have helped any of that. If you could, you wouldn’t have done it.”  
  
“Yeah, but--”  
  
“You’ve been in the presence of people who’ve done far worse things,” Mouse went on, “and enjoyed it.” She placed a hand on Starwell’s shoulder. “Don’t sell yourself short.”  
  
Starwell processed those words for a long moment, then gave a small smile. “Thanks, Mouse.”  
  
“Anytime, sugar. Now put your mind at ease, nobody is blaming ya for anything.” Mouse winked.  
  
The User-Sprite finished the rest of her energy beverage and stood. A murmur of voices caught her attention; she glimpsed a female binome at the other end of the mess hall, speaking with a babysitter about her baby. Apparently the binome was on duty in the Principal Office, and simply checking up on her young child during a brief break.  
  
As Mouse and Starwell quietly walked out of the mess hall, the User looked silent and thoughtful. The Hacker noticed and asked, “Something on your mind, Starwell?”  
  
“Uh… sort of.” Starwell scratched the back of her head, remembering the really awkward conversation she’d had with Little Enzo some time ago.   
  
“Anything you wanna share?”  
  
“Well…” Starwell stopped walking. “I guess I was just wondering how you people… well… uh…”  
  
“How we what? Just say it, sugar.” Mouse encouraged. She seemed curious and mildly amused.  
  
“How you guys… well, where do babies come from in this world?” Starwell looked away, feeling like she was very close to blushing. It wasn’t that she was any stranger to dirty talk; her own classmates would say things in the cafeteria or in study hall that would make a sailor blush. Not to mention the conversations she’d had with her chat-buddies via text or IM on the internet.  
  
Of course there was the internet itself, too. The internet… oh boy. Spend some time poking around and looking at nearly anything, you could find smut or nudity without even trying… if not worse.  
  
No, that wasn’t what bothered Starwell. Two things bothered her here. One was that she worried the subject was a taboo or something here, which might mean there would be a certain time and place for asking such things. The second reason was because she feared she might learn something she really, really did not want to know.  
  
Was she going to find out that her sprite body was somehow… different? Was she about to learn that sprites had very different ways of functioning, of… doing the “deed”?  
  
She did not like the thought that she might learn something really, really weird about the way her body worked in this world. Consuming energy and bathing in energy was weird enough, not to mention Rebooting in Games or becoming a werewolf for a time. So I’m squeamish, sue me, she thought, licking her lips.  
  
Mouse raised her eyebrows, but otherwise she didn’t appear offended or taken aback by the question. “Ah, you’re talking about when sprites or binomes compile code together,” she said.  
“  
Yeah, I guess,” Starwell said, licking her lips. She felt awkward. “I mean… Matrix and AndrAIa are boyfriend and girlfriend, and I’ve seen the way you and Ray look at each other…” Starwell touched her cheek. Were her facial pixels starting to redden? “I guess, uh… I was just wondering, uh…”  
  
Mouse came to her rescue. “What the next step is?” She gave a little chuckle. “Well, Hon, let’s just say that it’s something you can find in any ReadMe file at the public library. Maybe Phong would even let ya into the Read Only room.”  
  
“Oh.” Starwell looked both relieved and disappointed.  
  
“Don’t worry about it so much, sugar. It’s something that…” Mouse looked thoughtful, as though choosing her words carefully. “Once you find that special someone and choose to get married… you’ll know what to do when the time comes.”  
  
“Uh… okay.” Starwell wasn’t sure whether to be creeped out by that or not.  
  
“Somehow I doubt you’ll ever need to worry about it anyway, Hon. We’ll be getting you home eventually.” Mouse touched the girl’s shoulder in a comforting manner.  
  
“Yeah.” Starwell nodded. “Thanks, Mouse.”  
  
“Anytime, Sweetie.”  
  
The User-sprite looked thoughtful. “I wonder if Matrix wants my help again at the Diner today.”  
  
“You can ask him. I think I saw him around here someplace, you might be able to find him.”  
  
“Yeah, maybe I will.” Starwell rose and stretched. “I think I’m gonna go back to my room and relax for a few nanos, though. I’m still feeling a little out of sorts after yesterday.”  
  
“Yesterday?” Mouse furrowed her brow at the odd terminology.  
  
“Uh, I mean last second.”  
  
“Ah. Understandable, Sugar. You take it easy.”  
  
The Hacker smiled. “Well, Hon, I’ve got work to do and I’d best be getting back to it.”  
  
“Okay, see you later.”  
  
After Mouse left, Starwell stood and glanced about. In truth, she wasn’t sure what to do with herself this second. Hopefully it would remain uneventful, though; she felt she’d had enough excitement for a while.  
  
So you just keep your mouse and your fingertips away from Games for at least this second, okay? She thought toward Mainframe’s User, whoever that was. She scowled at the ceiling as if she could convey the message that way.  
  
She ended up going back to her room to rest for a few nanos. No sooner did she lay down than she quietly drifted off to sleep again.  
  
However, she was awakened a short time later by the annoying, insistent sound of Gizmo beeping its head off.  
  
“Ugh… Gizmo,” Starwell grunted as she rolled over. “What’s your problem now? I’m trying to sleep here.”  
  
“Special delivery!” A high-pitched voice exclaimed, startling Starwell and causing her to sit up straight.  
  
“Huh?” The User-sprite glanced around the room but saw nothing--until it was too late.  
  
A creature that looked like a purple penguin stood just in front of her on her bed, as though it had appeared out of nowhere. Just as the creature leaned forward with an odd device in its clutches, Starwell screamed and kicked it off the bed.  
  
As the program snarled menacingly, Starwell got up and ran toward the door. In lightening speed the animal-like creature leaped in front of her, trying to block her way. She tripped and went sprawling on the floor, smacking her temple against the door. It hurt.  
  
She grunted and rubbed her temple warily. The creature opened up a small container it held in its clutches and advanced toward her. Gizmo was shrieking and squealing in alarm, as though detecting something dangerous.  
  
The creature tripped. The edge of whatever rested inside the container hit the corner of Starwell’s bed; it vanished, and left a tear behind in its wake. Gizmo clicked, then stabilized the tear into a portal to a far-off destination.  
  
[STARWELL, WE MUST LEAVE!] Gizmo beeped shrilly, urgent.  
  
Starwell got to her feet, looking about wide-eyed. Then she dove into the portal, and found herself deposited someplace she had never seen in Mainframe before.  
  
Then she spotted the city off in the distance. Where in the world was she? Wait… was this the remains of the Twin City that Matrix had told her about?  
  
Just before the portal collapsed, the creature leaped out of it in full fury. It hissed, and immediately flung the object at her without a second thought.  
  
Whatever happened next couldn’t be described, least of all by Starwell. Pain tingled her form like a brutal wave of electricity. Not quite like a power surge, but more like an intangible wave that tore into her very being.  
  
Gizmo reacted instantly, changing shape in accordance to what was needed. The auto-stow feature enabled the Keytool to grab the small object from Starwell’s bitmap in a pair of thong-like grabbers, which extended from Gizmo on a long, bendable arm. It then held the object away from Starwell as far as it could extend its reach, beeping and clicking in agitation and near-panic.  
  
Starwell fell backward against the ground, barely releasing a cry of agony and surprise as she went limp. Her form twitched and flickered; she found it difficult to think clearly and she could not move, especially since her body didn’t seem to be all there. It was weird, like being in one of those dreams where reality seemed distorted as one tried to move unsuccessfully through water… while drowning.  
  
The User-sprite was too dazed to notice much of her surroundings. Only Gizmo noticed that the mysterious program who had unleashed the magnet had been flung some distance away in an energy blast that resulted from Starwell’s partial deletion. The Keytool also noticed in alarm that entire area didn’t look like it was doing so well. The entire island seemed to be going haywire.  
  
It was a good thing that Starwell wasn’t in Mainframe’s current, functional city… this circumstance would have been devastating there.  
  
Gizmo beeped. Then it decided there was only one thing to do; call for help. [Glitch!] it beeped and whirred, [Get your Guardian in here. Starwell’s been partially deleted!]  
  
There was no response. Gizmo cursed in its language. Communication was being blocked, or at least distorted.


	59. Chapter 59

“What in the Net?”  
  
Phong had just finished organizing and archiving the data from Keylogger when alarms began to blare throughout the Principal Office. He quickly headed for the war room to find out what was going on.  
  
Long-range scans showed that multiple tears had formed very close to Lost Angles. There appeared to be some kind of disturbance there, something that was having a drastic effect on the island.  
  
More of the sprites gathered within the war room in nanos and Dot quickly filled them in on what they knew. Something was effecting Lost Angles, some problem that had originated there.  
  
“What in the Net could be causing this?” AndrAIa asked, perplexed. “Those strange readings are off the charts!”  
  
“I don’t like this,” Matrix uttered with a slight growl.  
  
“We need to--” Dot cut off when she heard a sound.  
  
Bob was looking at Glitch. It was somewhat rare for the Keytool to chirp, especially in the absence of other Keytools; it always earned a second glance when it spoke. “What?” the Guardian said, his face serious. “Are you sure?” More clicks and whirs. “This is bad, very bad.”  
  
“What is it?” Mouse asked. “What’s going on?”  
  
“Glitch got a burst of communication from Gizmo,” Bob said. “Not much due to interference, but enough to know that Starwell is in Lost Angles. She’s been partially erased by a magnet!”  
  
“What?” Matrix’s hands clenched into fists at his sides.  
  
“It gets worse,” Bob said. “In this state she’s effecting everything around her.”  
  
Welman Matrix spoke up. “She is a User, her presence--her code--runs very deep in the system’s roots. It would be wise to find a way to isolate her, if possible.”  
  
“That may not be advisable, my friend,” Phong said. “Any slight movement or shock could result in complete fragmentation.”  
  
“Yeah, and if she crashes… Mainframe crashes.” Bob gulped, vividly remembering the dream-like scenario in which Starwell’s code had shattered into oblivion. The loss of a User within a system would not be a good thing, for anyone within that system.  
  
Dot couldn’t resist a shudder. One never forgot the grueling experience of partial deletion. “We need to get a med team over there, stat,” she began.  
  
“Hold on, Dot,” Bob interjected, “we’re dealing with a User here.”  
  
“Indeed,” Phong touched his chin, “we have no way of knowing if conventional treatment will work on young Starwell.”  
  
“We’ve got to do something,” AndrAIa said. “For Starwell’s sake, and for the sake of Mainframe!”  
  
“The first thing we need to do is assess the situation at close range,” Welman spoke up, his null-form warbling softly inside the domed “head” of his robotic form. “Then we can find a solution.”  
  
“Sir, Ma’am,” Specky said, “our long-range sensors can’t get a clear reading on Lost Angles. Whatever’s going on there, it’s…” He trailed off, his single eye widening behind his spectacle.  
  
“It seems completely random,” Phong supplied after a moment.  
  
“Alright,” Dot spoke up, in full command-mode. “The first thing we need to do is find out what’s going on over there.”  
  
“I’ll go,” Bob volunteered.  
  
“So will I,” Matrix added.  
  
“Okay,” Dot nodded, and held up a hand before anyone else could say anything. “You two get over there and find out what’s happening. And,” her eyes softened with concern, “be careful. Please.”  
  
“Not to worry, Sis,” Matrix said.  
  
“It’s Starwell I’m worried about,” Bob commented, “and Mainframe.”  
  
“If Starwell fragments or becomes deleted, the entire system may crash,” Welman said bleakly.  
  
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Dot murmured.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When Bob and Matrix arrived at Lost Angles, they hesitated near the broken bridge as they observed what lay ahead. It was not only a terrible sight to behold, but also… mind-boggling.  
  
“What in the Net?” Matrix’s eyes flew wide and his eyebrows vanished behind his bangs. During the many hours of Game-hopping as a young sprite, he had seen some pretty strange things and some corrupted or ravaged systems. But nothing quite compared to this… randomness.  
  
Bob could only stare. It was just a very good thing that this hadn’t happened in the main city, otherwise they’d all be in much bigger trouble.  
  
“Glitch, scanner.” The Guardian checked his Keytool. “Having trouble making anything out, but… the source of the corruption is definitely in the middle of Lost Angles.”  
  
“Starwell.” Matrix’s mouth became a thin, grim line, even as a shadow of concern crossed his features. “But how did she get there? Last I knew, she was in the Principal Office!”  
  
“I don’t know, maybe Gizmo had something to do with it,” Bob replied, uncertain. “Come on, we gotta get closer… carefully.”  
  
They nodded, and began a slow and cautious approach toward the island.  
  
The randomness became more astute the closer they got. The entire area was hard on the senses, especially the eyes. To a User’s eye, it may have looked like a PC desktop image when the graphics card or settings went bad. To the Mainframers’ eye, it was a lot more tangible and catastrophic, seeing a real place pixilated and corrupted.  
  
The sprites crossed the threshold of the island, maintaining a distance from the erupting chaos. “Too bad Hex isn’t here now,” Bob remarked wryly. “She’d probably love this kind of thing.”  
  
Matrix grunted, though he didn’t get a chance to reply. Their zip boards suddenly went out of whack, warping and flying out from underneath them. They each exclaimed as they landed roughly on the ground; Matrix landed on his ASCII hard enough to jar his teeth and Bob landed flat on his back.  
  
The sensation each of them experienced was… unpleasant. It began as a prickling against the skin. Then it quickly intensified as it felt like something was crawling under their bitmaps and their nostrils were assaulted by a terrible stench, like frayed wires and ozone.  
  
Matrix couldn’t resist a shudder. He got to his feet, and helped Bob up. They exchanged glances; both of them felt very uncomfortable here, physically and mentally. This was the last place in the Net either of them wanted to be.  
  
“We gotta find Starwell,” Bob grunted. His voice sounded odd even to his own ears, like a distorted echo in a cave.  
  
The Renegade gritted his teeth. “Yeah, but which way?” It was difficult to tell direction in the midst of everything.  
  
Bob picked a direction and began to move. The two sprites trudged through the corrupted, damaged city as if moving through lead soup. The Guardian tried to use Glitch to pinpoint the source of the corruption, but there was only so much the Keytool could do here.  
  
Eventually, they came to an area where the uncomfortable sensations became more astute; their bitmaps tingled and both sprites felt like they were on fire. The reality around them was being more effected in this area, to the point where the environment hurt.  
  
“Bob, look!” Matrix pointed at something in the distance.  
  
Approximately twelve meters ahead was the source of the problems. It was difficult to make out, for the entire area was like a pixilated storm as colors blurred together and distorted their vision.  
  
At the of the heart of this corruption lay the familiar form of Starwell. She was lying there in a heap, her bitmap flickering and dimming. She was currently not processing, and her code wasn’t complete.  
  
“Matrix, no!” Bob yelled, his voice muffled against the distortion.   
  
The Renegade was already moving forward, however. His form moved through the disrupted environment as he tried to reach her, but he didn’t get very far. His bitmap pulsed, then warped and flickered as his body was distorted.   
  
“Enzo!” Bob edged through the corruption, stretching his arm out as far as he could. He grabbed at his friend’s arm, gasping softly as a wave tore at his outstretched limb. It was like walking on the edge of an Undo Command without a reversal. He gritted his teeth and tried again; he managed to take hold of Matrix and he pulled backward. It took all of his strength to get both of them out of harm’s way.  
  
They collapsed on the ground, huffing and wheezing for a moment as they recovered, at least as much as they could recover in this random environment.  
  
“Let’s… let’s not try that again,” Bob panted as he sat up.  
  
Matrix glanced down at himself, making sure he was all there. “Yeah…” He glanced back in the direction of Starwell.  
  
That’s when they saw something else.  
  
Gizmo was moving about, flying on its own power and maneuvering the chaos like a seagull in a storm. It held the magnet in an extension; the deadly object dangled from its finger-like thongs.   
  
Bob tried shouting to the Keytool, but it either didn’t hear him or it was ignoring him. It closed in on the edge of the island, where it gave the magnet a hard toss. The magnet went sailing through the air, somewhat slowed by the distortions, but it still reached the destination Gizmo intended.  
  
The magnet landed in the energy sea, where it winked out of existence in a brilliant flash of light.  
  
The Keytool then went directly to Bob, already screeching and beeping as it hovered there. [HELP. HELP. STARWELL NEEDS ASSISTANCE!]  
  
“We’re here to help her,” Bob reassured the panicking Keytool, gently taking it out of mid-air. He shuddered somewhat as the skin-prickling set his teeth on edge.  
  
“But how?” Matrix asked.  
  
Bob sighed. “We need to repair her code and get her energy,” he said thoughtfully, already working on the problem.  
  
“But we can’t get close to her like this!” Matrix’s digits clenched into a fist.  
  
“I know.” Bob made a face, frustrated. “There’s got to be some way to--” His eyes widened as he thought of something.  
  
“Bob, what is it?” Matrix knew that look.  
  
“If we could just get her icon, we might be able to help her,” Bob said.  
  
Gizmo clicked and whirred. It wretched itself out of the Guardian’s grasp and launched itself in Starwell’s direction, ignoring Bob’s protests. However, the User Keytool could survive limited exposure to the heart of the corruption; it got in close, grabbed Starwell’s Icon in a thong-like extension, and then hurtled itself back in Bob’s direction.  
  
Bob took hold of the Keytool and placed it on the arm opposite Glitch; it nestled in uneasily. The Guardian then took a look at Starwell’s icon, blinking as his eyes burned. The young User was a part of the icon now, even if she wasn’t as dependant on it as a regular Mainframer. Yet it reflected her damaged state profusely; its colors had darkened into a sickly, blotched look, and the circuitry on the back had darkened.   
  
“We’ve got to get this back to the Principal Office,” Bob said.  
  
Matrix nodded. Neither of them liked leaving Starwell behind like this, but there was nothing else they could do. Besides, any time spent in this altered environment was maddening, perhaps even risky to their health.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A thorough scan on Starwell’s icon was conducted in an attempt to analyze the full extent of the damage… and how to repair it.   
  
While this was going on, Dot checked the archives for any information that might help in this situation, Bob supervised the CPUs currently patrolling the edge of the city, and Mouse, Welman and Phong discussed theories on what could be done.  
  
AndrAIa kept an eye on the long range scanners alongside Specky while Matrix paced the room like a caged tiger. Gizmo alternated between maintaining a stone silence while listening to updates or possible solutions to Starwell’s predicament and throwing a complete, squawking fit when no “quick fix” seemed to present itself. The User Keytool even argued with Glitch once or twice, until Bob threatened to split them up if they didn’t knock it off.  
  
Bob could understand Gizmo’s frustration, though. He knew that the Keytool, with its moody and somewhat unpredictable personality, was just blowing off steam. He allowed Gizmo to get some of it out of its system, as long as it didn’t go too overboard or become a distraction.  
  
When all was said and done, it was quickly realized that there would be no simple answer to this problem. A User in the bitmap, within the Net, wasn’t something that could be fixed with some slow food from Al’s or a little mending from a Guardian icon.  
  
“Careful steps must be taken to repair young Starwell’s code, my friends,” Phong was saying as his long, skinny neck craned over the readouts.  
  
“I’ve already done what I can, gang,” Mouse said with a slight shake of her head. “But there’s only so much I can do.” She eyed the icon thoughtfully as it rested atop a scanner.  
  
“We need to find a way to repair her code,” AndrAIa said. She didn’t remember much of the time when a Web Creature had bitten her and stolen part of her code. But she did know that she had been touch-and-go until Bob repaired her.  
  
“The only way we can do that is by doing a system restore on her,” Dot said.  
  
“But how?” Matrix asked. “What do we need?”  
  
“It will be a step-by-step process,” Welman said.  
  
“I got some information from the Archives,” Dot said. “It might help us figure out what we need.”  
  
“And how to do it,” Bob added.  
  
Over the next several nanos they went over all the information available. It took considerable concentration and focus from Welman, Phong and Mouse, but they managed to find and isolate the most severely damaged parts of Starwell’s code. Due to the complex nature of her form and how deeply it tied into the system, it was like trying to diagnose the heart of Mainframe itself rather than a mere sprite.  
  
Dot showed them the information she’d gotten from the Archives; she had grabbed a copy of anything she thought might be useful. Between looking at that data, analyzing Starwell’s code and doing a little guesswork and examining large portions of code, they finally worked out a list of what they needed.  
  
The Command Prompt Commands Fdsk and Chkdsk served their function in identifying the areas of the system that Starwell’s injured state had damaged or affected, but further steps were required to do a complete repair.  
  
“I’m going to the Supercomputer,” Bob said, drawing at least a couple surprised looks in his direction. “That’s the only place I know of where you can find the first two items on that list.”  
  
“Couldn’t you just contact Turbo and give him a requisition order?” AndrAIa queried.  
  
Bob shook his head. “He’d want to know what they’re for,” the Guardian said. “Besides, I have authorization to access things from the Supercomputer’s armory without going through much red tape.”  
  
“And the Guardians are nervous enough just learning there’s a User in the Net,” Dot sighed. Guardians were nearly paranoid when it came to Web Creatures loose within the Net, and ever since the Daemon infection the majority of the Guardians were even more touchy than before when it came to viruses. There was no telling how they’d respond to something like this, especially since it had never happened before.  
  
“Yeah,” Bob said. “Matrix,” he detached Gizmo from his arm and held it out to his friend. “Look after Starwell’s Keytool until I get back, would you?”  
  
“Sure, Bob,” Matrix said, eyeing the Keytool warily. “And you keep your teeth to yourself,” he told it sternly.  
  
Gizmo hissed at him. Then it made its protest known in the form of a query, which Glitch translated for Bob, [Why must I remain behind?]  
  
“Because,” Bob answered, “I don’t want the Guardians asking me why I have two Keytools.” He gave Gizmo a stern look. “Don’t do anything to disrupt what we’re doing,” he ordered with all the authority he could muster.  
  
Gizmo squawked.  
  
“If you keep distracting us or causing a ruckus, we won’t be able to help Starwell,” Bob went on firmly. “Mind Matrix, that’s an order.”  
  
Gizmo relented with some reluctance. It moved away from Bob and attached itself to Matrix’s arm, even if it hissed and spluttered a little doing so.  
  
Bob gave a little nod of approval. “I’ll be back in a few nanos,” he said. “Just release a tear, and I’ll be to the Supercomputer and back before you miss me.” He flashed a small smile.  
  
“Alright, Bob,” Dot replied. “Be careful.”  
  
“Hey, I’m just going to the Supercomputer, not the Mainframe Core.” With that, Bob left the war room.  
  
“Does something trouble you, my child?” Phong asked softly, looking up at Dot.  
  
The Command Dot Com sighed. “All of this just makes me uneasy,” she admitted. “Where did that magnet come from? How did this happen?”  
  
“I do not know,” Phong sighed. “All that we can do is try to fix the problem before it escalates… or before Starwell destabilizes to the point of total deletion.”


	60. Chapter 60

After Bob left for the Supercomputer, everyone else waited tensely in the war room. Dot checked in with the CPUs patrolling the parameter of the city while Welman and Mouse returned to the medical lab.

Within the medical lab rested Starwell's icon on a scanner, its sickly colors shining like an inky viral contamination.

"Her code will need extensive repairs, as we know," Welman was saying unnecessarily. He, like everyone else, was simply on edge.

"Yeah," Mouse said. "That she will. But we gotta wait until Bob gets back from the Supercomputer."

"But we should at least be able to start the process," Welman murmured as he leaned over a console. "This will be a very delicate procedure. The sooner we begin, the better."

"But are you sure that's a good idea?" Mouse raised an eyebrow. "We really should wait until Bob brings the--"

"I'm just going to take a look at this bit of coding... here." Welman's robotic digits began to fly across the console keypad. "If I can just isolate this area, maybe I can--"

"Hey, be careful with that," Mouse cautioned.

"Don't worry, Mouse. I'm just going to..." Suddenly, Welman froze. "Oops."

That was the one word no one ever wanted to hear during a delicate surgery on a heavily wounded patient.

"What do ya mean, 'oops?'" Mouse demanded.

"Well," Welman answered with the null equivalent of a gulp, "I misplaced a small line of code through her icon, and--"

A surge erupted through the icon. Glass broke, circuitry became fried in nearby equipment.

"We need to get out of here!" Welman grabbed Mouse and pulled her along with them.

The door shut behind them, just as a powerful burst of energy erupted in the room behind him.

"What happened?" Mouse demanded.

"I'm not sure," Welman answered, somewhat sheepishly. "Starwell is connected to her icon. Perhaps some of the damage is emanating through it."

"I think we'd better talk to Dot," Mouse said, already moving toward the war room.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A portal into the Supercomputer was easily noticed, especially when a Guardian came or went. When a portal from Mainframe deposited a sprite near the Principal Office, two armed Guardians approached them.

"State your designation," one of the Guardians requested.

"Guardian 452, of the system of Mainframe," Bob spoke.

"I'm Guardian 324," the one who'd just spoken announced. One of the old-school Guardians; the one beside him was obviously younger, and did not speak. "What is the purpose of your visit?"

"I need system repair commands. The BIOS codes are becoming glitchy."

"Very well, follow me," Guardian 324 said with a nod. "You may return to your duties, Cadet," he told the second Guardian, who nodded and left.

As Guardian 324 walked with Bob, he spoke again. "What happened in your system? Is it a viral problem, or something else?"

"A corrupt System Update," said Bob.

"Ah." The green-haired Guardian grunted knowingly. "Can't blame that on anything except the User, then. And..."

He paused in mid-stride, giving Bob a sidelong glance. "Speaking of which, there have been some... rumors going about. Something about a User inside your system. Turbo has been discouraging us from prying, but some of us are... curious." He raised an indicative eyebrow.

Bob waved his hand away, "The only User there is the one that keeps sending up Game Cubes, in Two Player Motifs lately."

"Hmm." The green-haired Guardian scratched his chin. "That's what most of them say. Though I've heard rumors of a certain red-haired Guardian who seems to feel otherwise."

He continued walking, but he didn't stop talking. "I don't suppose you're familiar with Guardian 752? A fresh graduate, Anna Code?"

"I've... heard of her. Why?"

"Let's just say there have been some... interesting reports." Guardian 342 shrugged. "Anyway, we're here."

They entered one of the smaller buildings that sat within the shadow of the Principal Office. Ironically, the structure was just about the size of Mainframe's Principal Office, though clearly overshadowed by the Supercomputer's much more massive and impressive Principal Office.

"Most of the repair commands can be found in here," the Guardian was saying. "Just fill out this requisition order over here, and you'll be good to go." He gestured at a screen on a console, easy-access for electronic paperwork. "Don't forget to sign it with your PID number and icon signature."

"Got it," Bob nearly sighed. He walked over, and began the necessary process.

The other Guardian stood near the door and folded his arms, obviously waiting for Bob to finish.

While Bob worked, the green-haired Guardian got chatty again. "I've heard some strange things about Mainframe," he said. "You've harbored viruses as part of an experiment. Not only that, but I've heard you have 'radical' opinions."

Guardian 342 snorted. "Just saying that if there ever was a User in the Net somehow, I'd wager you would be involved... if I was the betting sort."

Bob said nothing, and continued the paperwork.

Guardian 342 did not like being ignored, even if he knew that another person was busy. He opened his mouth to say something more, but he was promptly interrupted.

"Eh?" He looked at his Keytool. "What's that, Betafiver?" More beeping. The Guardian raised an eyebrow. "Strange, he's saying there's a Keytool just outside the door... behaving erratically."

Shaking his head, he moved toward the door and opened it to peer outside.

On the ground rested a Keytool, beeping and squawking. It fell silent as the Guardian approached.

"Well, what do we have here?" The Guardian placed his hands on his hips, tilting his head to look at it.

Bob caught ear, and felt very, very annoyed and surprised. How was he going to explain this one?

Guardian 342 stooped down to pick it up. It beeped in protest as it rested in his palm. "Strange, an unassigned Keytool... Betafiver doesn't even recognize it."

Gizmo hissed shrilly. It didn't like being touched, especially by someone not of its choosing.

It changed form.

"What in the Net--" The green-haired Guardian started to say. "AAAAGGHH!" he grunted in pain as something sharp pierced his hand.

Bob jumped into action, "Glitch, contain it!"

Gizmo immediately withdrew. It balked against Glitch's power, dispelling the Keytool's attempt to put an energy field around it.

Gizmo then clattered on the floor, reverting back to its default shape. It began to hiss, click, whir and squawk, throwing a complete Keytool fit.

"By the Guardian Code... that Keytool is completely random!" Guardian 342 rubbed his hand, staring at the odd Keytool. "This needs to be reported!"

Bob had to think of something quick...

"Relax. This is from my system." By the Net... "This is a piece of the BIOS code, manifest from Glitch's backup on Mainframe. I'll have to return it back to the Archives, or the System won't boot properly."

The Guardian blinked. He looked at Bob, then looked at the Keytool. He then narrowed his eyes at Bob. "If you say so." He sounded a tad suspicious.

Gizmo chirped innocently.

Bob walked over and picked it up.

"I'm sorry about this, I thought I had it contained. Now you see why I need the System repair commands, things are quickly becoming out of hand."

The other Guardian pressed his lips into a thin line, then simply nodded. "I see what you mean," he acknowledged, flexing his sore hand. "I suggest you get back to filling out that requisition order, then."

His Keytool chimed again. This time it was a message from someone else. He sighed softly. "It seems I have an issue to attend to," he sighed. "I'll be back in a nano." He then walked out of the room, mumbling something under his breath about malicious Trojans escaping their containment on the lower level.

The door shut behind him.

[I thought he would never leave,] Gizmo clicked. Then, at Bob's look, it added, [Hey, you didn't seriously expect me to stay with Matrix, did you?] Gizmo gave the Keytool equivalent of a huff.

"Yes. I did." Bob continued to fill out the forms, "Because you've just endangered Mainframe and Starwell by being here, and if the Guardians found out, there would be the Web to pay."

Gizmo simply huffed again. [You're glad to see me at least, aren't you, Glitch?] it beeped, somewhat playfully.

[No.]

Bob began another set of paperwork, for security purposes.

[...Well, you guys aren't very nice this second.] Gizmo sulked.

To its credit though, the User Keytool remained silent for the duration of time it took for Bob to finish what he was doing, get the repair commands, and head back to Mainframe.

0o0o0o0o0

When Bob returned to Mainframe, he was surprised to find that the distortions surrounding the Island had faded remarkably. He figured his friends in the Principal Office had reduced the problem; perhaps it meant that Starwell was partially repaired.

Once he arrived in the war room, he asked what was happening. Dot immediately stepped forward to give him an update.

“Well… Dad made a mistake when he tampered with Starwell’s code, just a little,” the Command Dot Com explained.

“What?” Bob blinked.

“It nearly caused the young User to completely destabilize,” Phong answered, “but between Welman, Mouse and myself, we managed to correct the damage.”

“It was just a slip of the digits,” Welman said, tipping his domed “head” forward in regret. “In more ways than one.”

“We shoulda waited until you got back with the repair commands, Bob,” Mouse said, with a meaningful glance at Welman. “But it turned out alright,” she amended quickly. “We stabilized her, and we managed to isolate her inside a ghost drive.”

“Ghost drive?” Bob’s eyelids flickered again. “Wait, what ghost drive?”

“Ah yes, it is a pocket of isolated memory, my son,” Phong explained. “Somehow it was formed at the very time when the twin city was destroyed, or perhaps slightly before. I believe it is how Maxwell and a few others were able to survive the explosion without being nullified.”

“Huh… why didn’t I know about this?” Bob scratched the back of his head.

“Because we did not know if its existence until just a few nanos ago,” Phong replied.

“We stumbled across it by accident, when we ran a scan of that area,” Dot supplied. “There’s no telling who or what may have hidden in there before the other city was destroyed. It may have been where the Phoenix Virus, and possibly that Spyware, concealed themselves before Hex found them and trapped them.”

“Makes sense,” Bob said. “So, how did you manage to transfer Starwell into an isolated ghost drive?”

“Very, very carefully,” Phong said simply.

“Come on, there’s no time to waste, gang,” Mouse said. “Bob, you got the repair commands?”

“I do, right here.”

Mouse smiled. “Then let’s get crackin’. We’ve got a User, and a city, to save.”

0o0o0o0o0

The entire process took nearly two full seconds to complete. It seemed to be touch and go at times for a while, but the work proceeded.

When it was finally finished, Starwell awoke within the hidden ghost drive. Her head hurt, she felt weak, and she felt very disoriented. She was oblivious to the fact that the chaos around her (and above her, in Lost Angles) had ceased.

She groaned and rubbed her head. "What... happened?" she grunted warily.

That was when she noticed something rectangular-shaped moving near her. "Gizmo?" She reached to pick it up... and then found it wasn't Gizmo.

"What the hell...?" She nearly dropped it.

"HEY!" it said, in kind of a squeaky voice. "Don't bother me. I just want to be left alone."

"What are you?" Starwell set it down.

"What do I look like?" It scooted away from her, just out of reach.

"Uh... you look like a remote control."

"Very observant, Bright Eyes."

"Okay, whatever.” Starwell drew her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “But what are you doing down here?"

"In the ghost drive?” It snorted. “Hiding. What do you think?"

"Hiding?" Starwell blinked.

"Yes, hiding. What are you doing here anyway, toots?"

"I don't even know how I got here," the User-sprite said with a shrug, feeling more confused than ever.

"Well, that ain't my problem." The little device shuffled a little.

"Who are you hiding from?"

"I've been hiding from Mike the TV. He never shuts up, and he won't let me turn him off--ever! He found a way to override my signals AND HE WAS DRIVING ME RANDOM!"

"You're Mike's remote control? Oh my gosh..." Starwell gasped softly, putting a hand over her mouth.

"You know him? Then you must know why I'm hiding from him."

"Yeah... I knew him." Starwell hung her head.

"Knew...? What do you mean? Speak up, girl!"

"He was... um... nullified in a game," Starwell mumbled.

Stunned silence. Then, "He was nullified? How?"

"Uh... I'm a User. I did it." Starwell pressed her lips into a thin line as a fresh wave of guilt swept over her briefly.

That was when the remote scooted closer to her and kissed her hand. "Oh, thank you, thank you!" it gushed. "I don't know if you're really a User, that sounds random. But if you're responsible... THANK YOU."

"Oh get away from me!" Starwell swatted it, causing it to clatter a short distance away.

"...How rude. You try to thank somebody, show a little appreciation..." The remote continued to grumble as it paced about the small space within the ghost drive.

"Ugh..." Starwell allowed herself to lie down flat, pressing her temple against the cool ground. That made her feel a little better, at least physically.

“What’s the matter, toots?”

“I don’t know… I feel like I got run over by a truck or something.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with you either,” the remote mused, scrutinizing her, “but when you first showed up here… whoa. The entire ghost drive almost went random, and I felt like I was caught in a fragment storm!” It shuddered. “Thankfully you got better, and the chaos went away.” It scooted just a little closer. “Gotta say, at least you’re a lot prettier than some of the others who’ve hidden away in this space, toots.”

“Please stop talking…” Starwell grunted, rubbing her head. She continued to lay there for a few nanos, at least until her head stopped throbbing. Then, with some effort, she pushed herself to her feet.

"Okay," she grunted, swaying a little as she walked, "how do I get out of here?"

"That way." The remote extended its antenna, indicating a direction.

"Yeah... thanks." Starwell began to walk, slowly and carefully, pressing her hand against her temple.

"No, thank you, toots."

Starwell grimaced, and walked through a door. It lead to a staircase, which apparently connected to Lost Angles.

"Just what I need..." She huffed as she began to ascend the stairs. She moved a turtle's pace, taking her sweet time to reach the top, mostly due to how terrible she felt.

Eventually she made it. The first thing she noticed was the blue color of the sky, a relief for sore eyes.

"I... made it." She permitted herself a small, tired smile.

Then she noticed what appeared to be a figure in the distance, someone on a zip board coming toward her. She raised her arm to wave, to try and get the person's attention--

And then she collapsed, exhausted and drained. Still conscious, but not ready to stand again quite yet.

"Starwell!"

He landed, half kicking the Zip Board away as he ran. It took moments, and was kneeling at her side and picking her up. He cursed.

It wasn't long before he was rushing back to the Principle Office. Blast it, he was never good at repairing code.

"Hang on, Pup."

"Huh?" Starwell shifted a bit, struggling weakly for a nano before she ceased. "What's going on? What happened to me?"

"Stay still, I'm taking you to the Principal Office." Matrix hefted, making sure that she was in a more comfortable position, "You got bugged, kid."

"Um... bugged? Are you trying to tell me I got glitchy or something?" Starwell grunted. That might explain why she had a splitting headache, and why she felt so weak and delirious.

Maybe this was the sprite equivalent of getting the flu or something, who knew?

"Something like that." Matrix still felt some effects, tingles and prickly skin, but it was lessening by the nano.

"What does that mean, I need to take some medicine or something?" Starwell forced a small chuckle. The thought of what computer medication might be like amused her. Would it be like consuming tangible pieces of code?

"Med-eh-sin, that some sort of actual User thing? Not a Game mechanic?"

"Uh... yeah, pretty much." Starwell said. "It uh..." Damnit, where was Gizmo when she needed it? The User-Keytool was very handy at explaining things she couldn’t as readily. "It helps on, well... biological organisms, when they get sick or injured."

"I don't think tearing the fabric of the Net counts as being sick."

"Tearing the... what?" Impulsively, Starwell tried to sit up straight, momentarily forgetting she was being carried through the air. "What are you talking about? What happened? Tell me!"

The sudden jerk threw Matrix off balance, and he nearly fell off the board.

"Stop that! You'll make us fall!"

Starwell froze, and settled down. "Sorry," she said, almost meekly. "But I want to know what happened. Come on, tell me... somebody back there told me there was chaos. Did I do something again?" She swallowed, once again thinking of Mike... and the sector she nullified.

Matrix regained balance, and a decent enough hold of Starwell, and continued his way.

"No. It wasn't your fault, Pup."

"But what happened? What aren't you telling me?" Starwell insisted. "The last thing I remember was..."

She hesitated, narrowing her eyes as she thought. "There was something in my room, a... purple penguin. And Gizmo was freaking out, and I tried to get away... I can't remember anything after that."

Matrix grumbled something incoherent.

Starwell sighed, realizing she wasn't going to get anything more out of him. She sulked somewhat and stayed silent the rest of the way to the Principal Office.

Once there, she waited until Matrix got off his zip board and entered the enormous building. Then she squirmed her way out of his grasp. "Come on, put me down. I can walk now."

Once her feet touched the floor, however, she got tipsy. "Whoa!" She grabbed Matrix's arm for support, preventing a fall.

Matrix chuckled, "Don't tell me that I'll have to carry you by the scruff of the neck, Pup."

She glared at him, though there was a trace of humor in her eyes. "Don't you dare," she said. "Now come on, give me a straight answer. What happened to me out there?"

"Partial Erasure," Matrix sighed, "Bad enough to affect the code around you."

"Partial erasure? You mean... I almost died or something?" She clung to his arm with both hands as another wave of dizziness washed over her. At least her headache had lessened into a dull throb that she could ignore, mostly.

“Yeah… uh, died?”

Starwell sighed. “Never mind,” she said. Some second, she was going to have to sit down with these sprites and explain basic User terms to them.


	61. Chapter 61

Once a scan of Starwell’s form was complete and Phong gave her a clean bill of health, the User-sprite consumed some energy and then headed back to her room. Bob stopped by to see how she was doing, and to return an over-eager Gizmo to her. The Keytool chirped and clung to her arm with such enthusiasm it seemed that Gizmo might never pry itself away from her again.

Starwell chuckled and patted it. “Hey, good to see you too, buddy,” she told it. “And thanks, Bob,” she smiled at the Guardian.

He smiled in return. Bob then returned her icon; she sat still as he pinned it onto her bitmap, same place it was originally. It practically shone as it nestled in, just below her neck. Its colors had returned to normal, further indicating that the User was completely recovered.  
  
After Bob left, Starwell stepped into the privacy of her bathroom. A nice, warm energy shower felt heavenly after such a long second. Normally a sprite only needed to stand under the energy current for a few nanos to get properly clean, clothes and all. But for Starwell, it felt rather therapeutic.  
  
Mouse awaited her by sitting on a chair near the bathroom. She chatted idly with Ray on a VidWindow while she kept an ear out on Starwell, alert for any signs of distress, corruption or destabilization. It was far less awkward for a female sprite to enter the restroom if Starwell’s code became unstable, after all.  
  
When the User-sprite finally finished her shower, she stepped out of the bathroom and stretched her limbs, not even bothering to stifle a yawn.  
  
Mouse wrapped up her conversation with Ray and killed the VidWindow. “How ya feeling, Hon?” the Hacker asked.  
  
“A lot better,” Starwell said, sitting in a chair near Mouse. “That was really weird… whatever happened on the island.”  
  
“The important thing is that you’re alright.” Mouse sighed. “I still can’t believe anyone would sink that low, sending a magnet to delete you. Here I thought only viruses would do that…” Then her eyes narrowed. “Or Guardians.” Her lips pressed into a thin line, as though recalling a specific incident.  
  
“Anna Code?” Starwell swallowed. “Makes sense I guess… we know how she feels about me.”  
  
Mouse sighed. “If she’s behind this somehow,” she said, “then we’ve got to do something before something irreversible happens.”  
  
“I still can’t believe so many crazy things happened just because I was partially deleted,” Starwell said, blinking. She had seen some file-footage taken of the chaos and found it creepy. “I mean, Phong showed me something before, what could happen if I died or something in a system. And he told me that I’m… that somehow,” she touched her chest indicatively, “my presence in this system goes deep into the roots, into the system registry and everything. But, how…?” She trailed off, her eyelids flickering a little.  
  
“You’re a User, Starwell,” Mouse supplied without even having to think about it much. “I may not understand what you were before you came into the Net. But while you’re here, it’s a big deal.”  
  
“Yeah, but how does that work?” Starwell pondered, puzzled. “Back home I’m nothing extraordinary or anything. I’m just an average girl, I’m just… me.”  
  
“That may be so, where you come from,” Mouse mused, “especially where there’s many more like you. But around here, well…” She tilted her head to one side, her glowing bangs dangling just over her left eye. “I saw some of the detailed scans Phong took of you, Sugar. At first glance, you look like an average sprite. But when we examined that data much more closely…” She let out a whistle.  
  
“What do you mean?” Starwell wanted to know.  
  
“I’m saying that wherever you come from,” Mouse clarified thoughtfully, “it must be a system, or something, a lot more massive than the entire Net. Particularly if you exist out there in your raw, uncompressed format, which I reckon you probably do. In the Net, it appears you were compiled in a super-compressed format; otherwise you would overload the system.”  
  
“Yeah, I think Qsa Linex told me something about that…” Starwell mused.  
  
Any further conversation was cut off, when the Keytool on Starwell’s arm suddenly began to squawk up a storm.  
  
“Good heavens, Gizmo!" Starwell exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her bitmap. The User Keytool had been inactive for the most part, but now…  
  
It had suddenly become so agitated that it was shrieking shrilly. It began to vibrate and bounce almost to the point of jarring off of Starwell's arm. Even Mouse seemed a tad alarmed.  
  
"Gizmo, calm down and tell me what's wrong!" Starwell exclaimed, putting her hand over it and moving a short distance away.  
  
It took a long moment for Gizmo to settle down, even after it went quiet. Starwell turned away from Hacker, as if to give a small amount of privacy to the Keytool.  
  
"Gizmo," Starwell whispered, "what is wrong?"  
  
Gizmo beeped, then it lit up a large holographic image that appeared to be a scan of the entire city.  
  
Starwell’s eyes widened. Apparently the User Keytool had a knack for detecting any kind of viral activity or system-wide bug; it was as if it had a hyperactive sensitivity to such things. And anything that was a potential threat to Starwell, it wanted to alert her and any potential allies about.  
  
"Mouse!" Starwell shouted, pointing at the holographic screen. The city was represented in green colors, and there were several sectors currently being engulfed by odd anomalies. According to Gizmo, it was causing afflicted areas to become bogged down; some kind of freezing bug that made the System grow sluggish.  
  
"What in the Net?" Mouse exclaimed. Alarms went off in the Principal Office.  
  
Starwell dashed down the hallway, not even sure where she was going. She just wanted to find out what was going on. Maybe she could help, or she could find someone who knew what was happening. "Shhh!" She tried to shush Gizmo. "You need to calm down!"  
  
She didn't even see Matrix; she plowed into him so fast that she smacked face-first into his chest and was knocked back by his sheer bulk.  
  
She landed on the ground, hard. "Ow," she exclaimed, rubbing her backside warily.   
  
"Watch where your going!- Ah..." Matrix noticed who just ran into him, and he couldn't tell if he should be angry, annoyed, or understanding.  
  
"I'm sorry," Starwell said sheepishly, staring up at Matrix. Even though they were friends, well... she still felt a little intimidated by him whenever he raised his voice.  
  
She heard footsteps approaching from behind; Mouse had apparently followed her. The Hacker was looking around, and her eyes zeroed in on them both.  
  
"Hey," Starwell said, pushing herself up off the ground, "what is going on outside?"  
  
"Looks like we've got another mass scale System Bug,“ Matrix replied. “Bob and Dot are on their way; Phong’s getting the details."  
  
"Oh no," Starwell said with a gulp.  
  
Gizmo beeped, and it gave another scan. It then displayed some readings for Starwell's benefit.  
  
"Uh... Gizmo's telling me something," Starwell said, narrowing her eyes at the readout. "He's saying that it's... an unknown file type, and it's spreading rapidly. It's... making multiple copies of almost everything it touches! It’s causing random freezes!"  
  
She looked between Matrix and Mouse. "Maybe if I get a little closer, Gizmo can get a better scan," she suggested. “Maybe he can figure out what to do!”  
Gizmo protested; it didn't like the idea of Starwell going into danger.  
  
"I'm sure there's a CPU car we could use--" Mouse began to say.  
  
"You're not going anywhere near there," Matrix said simply but sternly.  
  
For once, Gizmo seemed to agree with Matrix.  
  
Starwell narrowed her eyes. "And why not?" she demanded. "I won't get too close, I just want to take a closer look!" she said. She still felt bad about all of the nullification she'd caused, and she didn't want everyone (including Gizmo) treating her like she was a fragile flower who needed protecting. She could be helpful, couldn't she?  
  
"You're a User. What do you think will happen if something happens to you out there? The entire system may go offline."  
  
Starwell looked at Matrix, blinking a little. She knew it was possible to hurt the system if she got hurt; her recent ordeal with the magnet had proven that. But that didn’t mean the others had to treat her like she was a potential land mine or something. That thought bothered her more than anything.  
  
"So you're still worried I might hurt someone," she said, more harshly than she intended. "I'm not! I just want to help! I just want to get a closer look, just for a moment!" She stepped between Mouse and Matrix and pushed past them, stubborn and defiant.  
  
The older sprites watched her vanish down the hall…  
  
"Way to give that to the kid," said Mouse, hand on hip.  
  
Matrix gazed down at the floor. "...I want to do what's best for the system."  
  
"But you don't have to go ticking off the resident User, either."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, Anna Code was quite busy... fleeing for her life. She had returned to her hotel room after dealing with the Spyware, but only to grab the final trinket from her satchel. The one that looked like a mask with something attached to the back of it.  
  
She had hoped that Keylogger’s delivery mission would be a success. The Spyware did not return, however, which meant that Keylogger had either been deleted when the magnet was released (which was what Anna had hoped would happen regardless) or the Spyware had been captured, or suffered some other fate.  
  
The Rogue Guardian had taken note of something that was going on outside the city, at Lost Angles. The CPU cars patrolling the edge of the city gave some clue that something was going on, plus Lost Angles appeared to be… random.   
  
She had, however, simply dismissed it as a system bug and figured the Mainframers could handle it, especially since the main, functional city wasn’t effected. Besides, certain individuals had made it clear they didn’t want her help anyway.  
  
After she took a long nap to replenish her energy levels, she found that the crisis, whatever it was, had apparently been resolved. Which was just as well, for it was time for her to make her next move.  
  
Anna had decided that when it came to her agreement with Megabyte… it was now or never. So she had flown in the general direction of the Principal Office, figuring that would be the best place to draw out attention.  
  
“You’d better be ready, Virus,” she muttered under her breath. “This is all I’ve got.” She twisted the device on the back of the mask… and it began to glow. She released it, and it proceeded to hover in mid-air in front of her.   
  
Then there was a bright flash of light, and it vanished. At least, the mask vanished--though not before something apparently caused it to begin duplicating itself. The item that had been attached to it remained behind. It changed shape and grew slightly; it looked like a blue crystal.  
  
Anna tentatively reached out to grab it, but flinched and snatched her hand away as her fingertips brushed it. It felt cold to the touch, and it made her body feel odd even from the brief contact.  
  
The ice-crystal thing--which was obviously a system bug of some kind--flew down out of the sky and penetrated the ground. A massive blue wave of energy shot out as it splintered.  
  
That was when everything around her started to go to the Recycling Bin--metaphorically. Down below she could see ice crusting over the pavement, the sides of buildings, over cars, and even over people.

In some areas, it didn’t stop there; it created duplicate copies of binomes and various objects that it touched. Obviously this was some sort of bug that was designed to cause   
System Freezes, through actual freezing and through redundant file copies that would make the System sluggish.  
  
Anna flew skyward at this point, trying to avoid the blue waves of energy as they lashed out and expanded.  
  
"Megabyte," she hissed under her breath as she flew in the direction of the Island, "you'd better be ready to move!" She was headed for safety, the only safe place she could think of at this point, which was Los Angles.  
  
She couldn't exactly tell what the bugs were doing, just that each one was doing something different, and she didn't want to stick around to find out what they were doing.  
However, when she glanced over her shoulder at one point, she did see what one of them was doing.  
  
Her eyes went absolutely wide. "Oh... fragments," she swore.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"... Sir-Ma'am-Sir! We're seeing multiple freezes on the scan!"  
  
Dot stood in the Principal Office's Map room. Binomes scurried around, trying to identify what was affecting Mainframe. “By the Net… what now?” the Commander exclaimed. As if they hadn’t dealt with enough crisis’s already!  
  
"Call the Emergency Command, get our remaining Mainframers to the Principal's Office, Now!" Dot commanded. The first priority in a crisis was to get everyone to safety.

The second was to identify the problem and figure out how to fix it.  
  
It seemed rather odd that so many problems were cropping up so suddenly… first the Phoenix Virus, then Starwell’s partial erasure… now this new Bug. Obviously something, or someone, was triggering them. But that was something that Dot would have to look into later; the first priority was to protect the system and everyone in it.  
  
“Bob, I need you to--” Dot suddenly realized that the Guardian was not present. “Bob?”  
  
“He left nanoseconds ago,” Phong supplied as he moved closer to her. “I believe he and Glitch are attempting to locate the source.”  
  
“Do you know what we’re dealing with?” Dot asked with an uncertain shrug.  
  
“It would appear to be a freezing bug,” Phong answered. “It is spreading like a wave, crusting multiple sectors with ice and duplicating many things, and people, that it touches.”  
  
“Not good,” Dot murmured, shaking her head.  
  
“That is not the worst of it, my child,” Phong went on. “It appears that the bug is trying to make duplicate copies of everything it touches, which is causing the system to slow down. If this continues,” he drew in a deep breath, “it will cause the system to crash.”  
  
“Sir-Ma’am,” Specky called Dot’s attention, “we are detecting a powerful energy reading amidst the bug… I think it might be viral.” He gulped.  
  
“Viral?” Dot’s eyes narrowed. “Megabyte?”  
  
“I’m not sure,” Specky said. “Whatever it is… it seems to have been caught in the bug. Several dozen copies of it are roaming about the system.”  
  
Dot’s hands clenched at her sides. “Proceed with the evacuation,” she ordered. “We need to get our people to safety now.”


	62. Chapter 62

Anna Code stared in horror at the chaos she was witnessing. Had she truly betrayed her Guardian code so completely that she would cause this, and let it all happen? She clenched her teeth and threw her fist at the sky, silently cursing every single User outside the Net who still resided out there.  
  
Once she had her paws on Alpha Starwell... she would help stop this.  
"MEGABYTE!" she screamed, flying higher in the sky on her zip board. "GET ME THE USER!" She had no idea if he could hear her or not. It was not likely that the virus was omnipresent, no matter how powerful he was, but... you never knew with viruses.  
  
“What do we have here, another Guardian?”  
  
Anna whirled around. She nearly fell off of her Zip Board. "Who in the Net are you?" she demanded. Then her eyes narrowed. "WHAT in the Net are you?"  
  
"Me?" Golden claw-like finger nails touched red chest, "I am the Queen of Chaos!" Maniacal laughter echoed in the skies.   
  
Anna instinctively glanced toward her left arm--then remembered that Cappaten had left her. She swore under her breath. She took her pistol from her belt and aimed it at the insane figure. "As if one virus wasn't bad enough," she snarled, and fired.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Starwell broke into a run, not looking back. Gizmo squawked in protest, but she shushed it. The User Keytool was silenced; ultimately it was programmed to respect her wishes... as long as she didn't go too far.  
  
Besides, there were no objects around that it could handcuff her to this time.  
Starwell proceeded to run through the halls, trying to remember where the exit was.   
  
"Gizmo, run a continuous scan," she snapped. "And keep me updated." If she had been paying closer attention, she might have realized that Gizmo's feelings were hurt by her harsh tone.  
  
All of a sudden a voice called out to her. “Hey, Starwell! Let me come with you!”  
Starwell froze momentarily, taking in who it was; Little Enzo. “Not now, kid,” she growled, and began to move again.  
  
The young sprite continued to follow her. Dot had told him to stay put in one of the rooms, but… “I want to see what’s going on!” he protested. “I never get to do stuff!”  
  
Starwell felt a headache coming on. "Look," she said, "I’m sorry, Enzo, but I don’t have time for this right now. And I need to do this alone. Go to Matrix or Dot or... whoever." With that she began to run again.  
  
"No fair! Wait for me!" Enzo ran after her.  
  
Starwell chose to ignore Enzo and she tried to run faster. Maybe he would get the message and stay behind. If not... well, if he wanted to be stupid, that was his problem, wasn't it? Gizmo beeped. Starwell stopped.  
  
She sighed. Even in this emotional state of mind... she knew she couldn't let him follow her out like that. She was responsible for her attitude and how it effected others.  
  
They should've left me in the Ghetto, the negative part of her brain thought stubbornly. If they had left her out there, she could have investigated things on her own without anybody following her or trying to stop her.  
  
Then again... she needed these people. They did give her an icon with a modification that wouldn't let her hurt anyone, and... they did care.  
  
"Kid..." She faced him squarely as he skidded to a halt near her. "You gotta stay here, or go back to Dot, or somebody. Go back to Dot," Starwell repeated sternly, ignoring the sad and indignant look in the kid's eyes.   
  
“Aw, you’re just like Dot and everybody else!” Enzo pouted, folding his arms and looking away.  
  
“For your own good…“ She then rose and began to walk off, checking up on Gizmo's readouts.  
  
Starwell dashed through the corridor of the Principal's Office until she reached the outer corridor. She then marched toward the front entrance and cautiously moved through the door.  
  
"Gizmo," she whispered, looking around warily, "is Anna Code out there?" Starwell still had vivid memories of the last time she set foot outside the Principal's Office during a crisis.  
  
The User-Sprite narrowed her eyes. The last time there had been a crisis... Anna Code had been nearby. Was there writing on the wall here? Gizmo beeped shrilly. Starwell's eyes widened. She looked up. "Oh my gosh..." She saw Anna Code high above her head, but the Rogue Guardian was not paying any attention to her at the moment. Anna Code was firing her weapon at...  
  
Starwell screamed. Gizmo shrieked. They both saw a being with a white mask, which was capable of showing numerous different expressions depending on the mood. Right now it seemed to be... mischievous? Angry?   
  
A loud noise of cackling laughter filled the skies again as the energy discharge from Code's weapon impacted powerful shields. The insane virus then performed her own attack; she moved forward, matter-of-factly slapped the pistol out of Anna's grasp, then she grabbed the Rogue Guardian by the throat and sent her hurtling toward the ground.  
  
Even though Gizmo did not have eyes, she and the User Keytool managed to exchange glances in a way.  
  
Starwell squeezed her eyes shut. "Gizmo," she said through gritted teeth, "do something."  
  
Gizmo understood what she was saying. It made a plaintive noise of surprise, perhaps the equivalent of "Are you kidding me?" But then it obeyed.  
  
It left Starwell’s arm and sped downward in the direction of the falling Guardian. It then changed shape, expanding into a form like an energy net; it engulfed Anna's form and padded her landing on the city ground just in the nick of time.  
  
On the ground, it took Anna Code a moment to figure out what happened. It began clear once the User Keytool returned to its original shape and settled on the ground beside her.  
  
For a brief nano she stared at it, almost hopefully. Had Cappaten returned to her in her moment of need? However it was obviously not her Keytool; it was the wrong color and it was shaped differently. Anna’s expression changed from surprised bafflement to indignant rage. She raised her hand as if to strike the User Keytool--but the scars on her throat made her think twice.  
  
"I don't know what game you and your User Mistress think you're playing," she snarled at it, "but stay away from me."   
  
She kicked Gizmo, sending it flying off of the end of her foot and clattering along the ground a short distance away. Gizmo responded by changing into a hand that promptly flipped her the bird.  
  
There was a flash behind Anna Code.  
  
"Oh, how rude. You didn't give me a birdy."  
  
There was a flash behind Anna Code. Her reaction lacked considerably when two black hands spun her around. The virus was grinning.  
  
"Oh, how rude that was, I wasn't finished with you. Guardian."  
  
Anna was lifted into the air, painfully as the yellow nails dug into her shoulders.  
  
"What do you plan to do?" Anna snarled. The Virus giggled.  
  
"What I plan to do? What a silly question, I want to hurl this system into spiraling Chaos. It will be Glorious!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Alpha Starwell was still standing in the doorway of the Principal's Office, staring downward. The virus--or whatever it was--was still above her head, and a System Bug was rapidly approaching the Principal's Office.  
  
She needed to do something, fast. If nothing else, she needed to get Gizmo back!  
  
She ran back into the Principal's Office, heading down the corridor. She began to yell out, trying to get the attention of anyone who might be nearby. "Matrix!" she screamed. "Mouse! Bob! Anybody! HELP!"  
  
Starwell froze. The face left the darkness, almost as if coming from a pool suspended on a wall.  
  
"Why hello little one," said the masked thing. It was almost mannequin like, with its sprite-like mechanical-like limbs. A black hand waved over its mask, and the once friendly mask changed immediately. It showed a dangerous intrigue, with glowing orange furrowed eyes and a grinning face, all had malice.   
  
"GET AWAY FROM ME!!" Starwell screamed, as she stumbled backwards. She landed on her rump and held up her hands in defense.  
  
"How cute! It knows how to cower." The face changed into a sharp-toothed, evil smile, and the virus raised her arms in preparation to strike.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The moment Matrix had heard the scream, was the moment he was running. Gun in his hand, the command on full delete.  
  
"Matrix!"  
  
Oh great. "Not now kid!"  
  
Little Enzo ran along side Matrix. How the little sprite was keeping up, he didn't know.  
  
"But Matrix, what's going on? And how come I'm left out of the action!"  
  
"Go bother someone else! I can't have you near me!"  
  
After a couple of corridor turns, he was sure that he had lost the young sprite. It was several more when he found the wall of darkness. It was black, and when he touched it, it rippled at his finger tips. He didn't have time for this.  
  
Matrix jumped through and aimed Gun. He should have fired then and there. He knew he should have. He knew the virus, Hexadecimal, the most powerful virus he had encountered, save for Daemon.  
  
And he found Starwell.  
  
"Get away from her!" he yelled. Hex turned, her mask a face of intrigue.  
  
"Who is this sprite?" there was a sudden flash, and Hex's mask was inches from Matrix's, "Who are you, sprite?"  
  
Matrix was shocked. That wasn't a power Hex had, he had never seen an Instant Send before, and likely never would.  
  
"What's this?" Hex yanked Gun from Matrix's hands. She levitated away.  
  
"Hey!-" A flick of Hex hand, and Matrix was numb. A Program Freeze Bug, and the frost covered him. Through the ice, Hex examined Gun.  
  
"Matrix!" Starwell was up, she was in front of him. She didn't know how to break the ice.  
  
"What a curious little toy, but not nearly interesting enough." Hex’s clawed, spider-like digits tightened; they crushed Gun.  
  
Electrical pain shot from Matrix's eye. He jerked, and the ice shattered around him. Starwell took steps back from the shards of ice that sprayed. Matrix gave an aggravated yell. He lunged at Hex as she tossed away his broken weapon. With a flick of her hand, Matrix hit the wall as her power flung him to the side.  
  
"Matrix!" Matrix lifted his head, as Hex grabbed hold of Starwell. But in a flash, another Hexadecimal appeared, almost identical to the one present, except for the mask, which was shaped into curiosity.  
  
"What do we have here?" Said the New Hex.  
  
"Just a strange sprite who thought he could face us, and this strange little thing that looks like a sprite," said the Old.  
  
"How intriguing!"  
  
"I will take the thing away, will you deal with the sprite?"  
  
"Of course I will, I do like a good work out."  
  
The old Hex disappeared in a flash, and left the New Hex to float in front of Matrix. Her Mask had changed into a fanged smile with red eyes.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Anna Code gritted her teeth. Time seemed to slow to a halt as she stared into the eyes of the virus, the thing that she herself had unleashed.  
  
A small part of her processor argued that this was exactly what she'd asked for. Wasn't this what she deserved, for agreeing to form an alliance with a virus? For releasing the bug?   
  
Anna gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stare straight into the mask. She was tempted to call out for Cappaten but she knew it was useless; her Keytool had removed its coding from her and left. There was no telling where it had gone or if it would ever return.  
  
She felt more empty without it now than ever.  
  
Her face contorted into fear and rage as the virus thing prepared to throw her. Anna's eyes snapped toward the ground. She focused on that damn User Keytool... Gizmo.  
  
Gizmo shifted slightly under the scrutiny. It beeped, almost questioningly.  
  
Anna squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't like you," she grated, "and you don't like me. But for the love of... the entire Net... DO SOMETHING." Somehow it came out as less than a command, yet more than a plea.  
  
Gizmo seemed to think about that for a moment. Then it rose off of the ground and changed shape.  
  
Whatever happened, it happened fast. Anna couldn't even be sure what the User Keytool did, but it cause the virus to scream and writhe in agony.  
  
Anna fell to the ground in a heap. Then the Keytool landed on the ground beside her, back in its original form. It clattered and came to a halt.  
  
It let out a pitiful little sound; it was completely out of energy.  
  
Anna crouched into a defensive position. It was useless to try and locate her pistol; she had no idea where it was. Instead she eyed the area for any sign of the Virus.  
  
Due to her Guardian Code, she appeared to be immune to the after-effects of the spreading bug... at least she hoped so. If she had only had Cappaten with her she could get a more thorough scan of the area.  
  
She glanced up just in time to see the degrading form of the Virus; it then de-complied completely and vanished into thin air.   
  
Deletion? Or erasure? She couldn't tell, but it was pretty obvious that her suspicions had been correct. The User Keytool was a very powerful device, having more coding and power than any Guardian Keytool.  
  
She tentatively walked over and picked up the Keytool, holding it out between her fingertips as if it might bite. Which she knew it could.  
  
It was almost completely out of power, running on its bare minimum reserves. It seemed to regard her for a moment, then it gave a couple of beeps.  
  
Anna sighed. "At least this way you're harmless... and I can keep an eye on you." She placed it on her left arm. Perhaps she could also use it as a way to get closer to Starwell, assuming Megabyte failed in the midst of the chaos. Gizmo squawked in protest, but it did nothing.   
  
"Quiet," Anna growled, rubbing her fingers across her temples. She then glanced around, making certain the coast was clear, then she took off. If she could just find a zip board or a vehicle, she could get to the User herself. And this time, the User Keytool wouldn't be able to interfere.

A binome walked towards Anna. The Guardian did notice, but the moment she aimed her gun, the binome shifted. "Hello Miss Code. I see you are having... fun."  
  
Anna blew out a breath and lowered her gun. "Megabyte," she murmured under her breath. She narrowed her eyes, her features ablaze and impatience and annoyance. "I thought you were supposed to be getting the User," she snapped. "Or are you too busy watching me run around?"  
  
On her wrist, Gizmo squawked. She gave it a light slap, causing it to hiss at her.  
  
"Don't worry, Miss Code, everything will come in short time." The Trojan chuckled, "The User will be delivered shortly, as for my end-"  
  
"MEGABYTE!!!"  
  
Megabyte jumped away, as a large, almost hulk-like green sprite nearly tackled him.  
  
Matrix ignored Anna as he confronted Megabyte.  
  
"If it isn't the boy all grown up," Megabyte said, amused. "How charming. Was my sister's copy so weak?"  
  
In answer, the Hexadecimal appeared beside Matrix.  
  
"Ah, I see," said Megabyte, "Hello, dearest sister."  
  
"Hello dearest brother," Hex said, her mask pulled into an amused smirk, "I was wondering when you were going to come out of hiding. And what a new look!" She fingered her chin thoughtfully. “I like it!”  
  
Before Megabyte could reply, Matrix attacked again. The sprite threw punches and kicks, and Megabyte dodged all of them, as if in anticipation.  
  
Anna Code's eyes darted between Matrix, Hex and Megabyte, momentarily unsure what to do.  
  
Gizmo squawked; it pried itself off of Anna's arm and clattered on the ground. Apparently it decided that if it got closer to Matrix... maybe he could take it back to Starwell, since he was the User's friend.  
  
However, the User Keytool ended up a bit too close to the viruses as well.  
  
Anna gritted her teeth. She grabbed her pistol and aimed it at Hex, firing. She figured it would be a good idea to distance herself from this area... soon.  
  
The targeted Hex moved away, seeming unfazed by the sudden attempt at her life.  
  
But a second Hex appeared behind Anna, "How rude."  
  
Matrix fought. Hatred burned in every unit of his data, hatred for the Virus Megabyte. It would have been so easy, to rip that virus limb from limb with his hands, to Erase the virus personally.  
  
But no matter how hard he tried, how much he fought, Megabyte dodged and mocked.  
  
"Now, now, boy, lets not be hasty about this. You're going to wear yourself out."  
  
Matrix spat curses.  
  
Gizmo made a hissing noise. However it was very low on energy; it couldn't access its higher functions, not unless it wanted to drain itself completely and go offline.   
Apparently it had not gotten a chance for a full recharge before the mess with Maxwell happened.  
  
So it did something that only a User Keytool could do, something that no Guardian Keytool could do; it would act like a leech. It used what little energy it had left to rise off of the ground and then, in a flash of light, it moved swiftly toward the Hex copy that stood behind Anna.  
  
It attached itself to her mask. She couldn't even cry out; the female virus dug her fingers into it but the Keytool would not budge.   
  
Then somehow... it caused her Mask to disappear. Gizmo then got a full burst of energy that shot out of the copy's faceless head. The User Keytool absorbed a portion of the energy even as it was flung some distance away.  
  
Anna's eyes flew wide. Then she did the only thing she could think to do; she kicked the faceless Hex into the direction of the other Hex, hoping that they would take each other out.  
  
Gizmo stopped clattering some distance away and remained completely still. It was stunned, now in the Keytool equivalent of a daze, possibly a near overload as well.  
  
The screaming of the Hexadecimal clone froze everyone. Megabyte took this opportunity to retreat, and leave a harmless binome in his wake.  
  
Matrix dived aside.  
  
But the other Hex copy looked on in excitement and curiosity. “Well now, wasn’t that just delightful!” The Hex copy laughed hysterically.  
  
“I’ve had enough of this!” Matrix lunged at Hex. The virus vanished from his path, causing him to skid to a stop in confusion--only to find that she had reappeared behind him.  
  
“My, my, what a temper!” Hex matter-of-factly lifted him from the ground and hurtled him into a nearby wall. “You should be careful; you might hurt yourself!”  
  
Matrix grumbled something incoherent as he pushed himself to his feet.  
  
Meanwhile, Anna Code had located the User Keytool a short distance away. She had made a dash toward it, rolling head over heels toward it at the last moment. She snatched it up and, despite its indignant protest, it seemed to agree to work with her… temporarily.  
  
“Alright, you little devil,” Anna hissed at it, “do what you did before; attack that virus!”  
  
Gizmo beeped; it then took off and attached itself to the Hex copy’s mask, removing it.  
  
Once again energy exploded from where Hex’s Mask was a moment ago. Gizmo then fled from the path of flowing energy, moving back to Anna’s arm… apparently lacking anyplace better to go at the moment. Or perhaps it had decided that they had a temporary alliance. It was hard to tell what the User Keytool was thinking.  
  
Both Matrix and Anna ended up running in the same direction as the Hex copy proceeded to overload; she then exploded, just as the two sprites dove for cover.  
  
A moment or two passed, after which Anna and Matrix picked themselves up and looked around.   
  
Anna glared at Matrix. “Stay out of my way,” she snapped, and began to walk away.  
  
Matrix glared, threatening. "Why do you have Starwell's Keytool?" He demanded in a growl.  
  
Anna Code scowled. "That is none of your fragging business," she snapped. She then made a move to snatch up the Keytool.  
  
This time it protested. It changed into the all-too-familiar shape of a mouth, biting the Rogue Guardian squarely on the hand. She cried out more in indignity than pain. The Keytool then ripped itself away from her, depositing itself at Matrix's feet.  
  
It's intention was clear. It beeped, asking to be taken back to Starwell... by her friend.

"Why you little..." Anna swore, rubbing her hand.  
  
Matrix smirked, bent down and took the Keytool. He placed it on his arm, where it settled in with some reluctance. "A Keytool chooses its Guardian, and I know Gizmo wouldn't make a wrong choice." With that, Matrix turned his back and walked away.  
  
Perhaps it was due to exhaustion that Anna only glared as Matrix walked away. This meant that, in a way, she had been rejected by two Keytools, even if Gizmo was a User Keytool that she didn't want anyway. It just wanted to get back to its proper owner; it was simply sticking with Matrix until then.  
  
"Megabyte..." she growled once the burly sprite was out of earshot. "Wherever you are, you'd better follow through on your promise soon."  
  
That was when a Hexadecimal copy appeared directly behind her. "My, my, aren't you lost?" Then the virus struck Anna on the back of the head, rendering her unconscious before the Guardian could react.  
  
"THAT was for..." The Hex copy scratched the back of her head, as if trying to think of a logical reason. Rational, straightforward thought was difficult for her.  
  
"Just because I felt like it!" The Hex copy finally finished, and then she vanished, leaving the Rogue Guardian unconscious the ground.


	63. Chapter 63

Starwell found herself in a completely different location. She had no idea where she was or how she got there. She just knew that Matrix wasn't there... and she was alone with the strange virus lady.  
  
Her eyes flew wide. She didn't even have Gizmo to fall back on right now.  
  
"W-what are you going to do to me?" she squeaked.  
  
The User-sprite had no idea where she was; apparently this virus had transportation capability or something.  
  
They appeared to be somewhere else entirely, a place she had never seen before. It didn't even look like it was part of the city; it seemed to be some... ruins?  
  
The virus looked like she was about to speak, but then something seemed to draw its attention in another direction briefly. Something small was coming in their direction, something that looked like a black sphere with dark eyes, a shiny surface atop its head, and a long slim tail.  
  
Starwell stared. "What is that?" she asked in spite of herself.   
  
"Oh Scuzzy!" Hexadecimal clasped her hands together, her mask a vision of happiness. A hand moved in front of her face, and it changed to a red eyed angry mask, "How DARE you interrupt me!"  
  
Hex flicked her hand, and the cat-like creature fell through a hole that appeared under it. The virus looked at Starwell, "I shouldn't have done that, I really was glad to see him." Hex gestured her hand, and Scuzzy returned. "What do you have for me?"  
  
Starwell wasn't entirely sure whether to be freaked out by the woman's insane display or just plain weirded out.   
  
The little cat-like being had an expression of annoyance, but it moved forward as if it was used to this kind of demeanor. It wagged its long, skinny tail and leaned toward its mistress.  
  
Only Hexadecimal could see the image that appeared on the little screen atop its head, although Starwell could easily hear the audio. The User-sprite was too far away to see it and she didn’t dare move closer.   
  
It showed Hex a recording of something that had happened on the island earlier... the complete conversation between Megabyte and Anna Code... including when they made their deal.  
  
Starwell heard it all. Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Anna Code is working with a virus?" Starwell exclaimed.  
  
Hex's mask turned to psychotic, "Not just any virus. My dearest brother."  
  
Starwell's eyes widened. "Your brother?" she exclaimed. She turned squarely toward the female virus. "Look," she said, "I need to find Gizmo, and I need to get back to my friends. Will you... let me go?"  
  
"Let you go?" Hex gave a quizzical mask, "But how else am I supposed to get Bob over here?"  
  
"You... are holding me here because you want Bob?" Starwell blinked. "Why?"  
  
"Why? Why wouldn't I want to see my sprite?"  
  
"If you wanted me that badly, you could have asked." The Guardian approached them on a zip board.  
  
“Bob!” Starwell exclaimed in a combination of surprise and relief.  
  
The relief, however, was short-lived. Hex turned toward the Guardian, her Mask changing into an expression of delight. “Why, Bob!” the virus said, coming as close as she could to gushing. “How nice of you to stop by!”  
  
Suddenly she was right in front of him. “I always knew you loved me, Bob. And--” Her face became mischievous. “I can do a lot of things that Dot cannot!”  
  
Bob held up a hand. “Hex,” he began in a reasonable tone. He had no idea how she’d survived or what she was up to, but he knew he had to be careful. “Look, we need to talk--”  
  
All of a sudden another Hex copy appeared behind him, grabbing him by the shoulders. This copy had a psychotic look plastered on her mask. “Get away from him!” she snapped at the other copy. “He is mine! All mine!”  
  
“He is not!” Now the other copy had a look of rage on her face. “He is MINE!”  
  
Starwell stumbled backward, moving against the wall with her hand pressed against her mouth. She watched as the two Hex copies began to fight over Bob, even going so far as to begin a tug-of-war over the Guardian. Each Hex copy grabbed one of his arms and began to pull back and fourth, each yank enunciated with an argument:  
  
“No he’s MINE.”  
  
“He is MINE. I saw him first!”  
  
“No he is mine! MINE, MINE, MINE!”  
  
“MINE!”  
  
“MINE!”  
  
Bob spoke, either to attempt diplomacy or possibly to give an order to Glitch; Starwell didn’t catch what he said because she immediately became distracted by something else. None of the people present had noticed that Scuzzy had become infected by a presence, and had changed shape.  
  
Starwell did not take notice until a hand grabbed her shoulder. She still had her back against the wall; this simply caused her to stare helplessly into a large, ugly face.  
  
“Why hello, my dear,” the deep voice of Megabyte crooned at her.  
  
Starwell gasped. She tried to break away from him but he held onto her with an iron grip. Long talons poked her bitmap as his digits tightened around her arms.  
  
“Don’t even try to struggle,” Megabyte told her with a sneer. “I have been awaiting this moment for a while now. It is futile to resist.”  
  
Starwell inhaled sharply, somehow resisting the impulse to scream. Her eyes darted in Bob’s direction; it appeared he was now dealing with three copies of Hex… and a fourth one had appeared. He was too busy to notice anything else at the moment.  
  
Meanwhile, a short distance away, Bob stood his ground and took the insanity from the multiple Hex’s. He had long been used to the insanity of Hexadecimal, sometimes it was a matter of patience in order to get to his objective. He hoped that Starwell wouldn't mind...  
  
That's when he saw him. A glint of a blue malformed bit-map, the flash of yellow claws.  
  
Megabyte.  
  
Things just got complicated.  
  
"Starwell!" Bob called out, momentarily forgetting about the Hexadecimal copies as he took a step toward her. His Guardian code compelled him to protect the people of Mainframe... his friends.  
  
However, the Hex’s had other ideas. "Oh you must stay here with me, darling!" one of them crooned, getting right in his face.  
  
Another one grabbed him by the shoulders and whirled her around to face her. "No, my Dear Guardian, stay with me!"  
  
"NO!" another Hex with a psychotic face said. "STAY AWAY FROM MY SPRITE, ALL OF YOU! HE'S MINE!"  
  
Three of the Hex’s began to fight over him, and Bob actually used this to his advantage. While they were focused on each other, he gave them a slip and began to dash toward Starwell and Megabyte.  
  
Megabyte was savoring the moment, finally having a User in his grasp for the first time in his life. In fact, it was the first time any Virus had been lucky enough to get a User. This young sprite was quite a prize.  
  
He got a sadistic pleasure in the terror of her eyes. She was only a child. In his eyes she wasn't much different from the little Enzo. Nonetheless he savored his ability to make a User, in the bitmap, tremble with terror in his clutches.  
  
"Megabyte!" Bob's voice caused the virus to look up. "Let her go!" The Guardian readied Glitch.  
  
Megabyte merely looked amused. "Or what?" An evil smirk crossed his face, eyeing something behind Bob.  
  
"Or I'll--"  
  
"MINE!" Bob had forgotten about the fourth Hexadecimal, who hadn't joined the catfight with the other three. She clamped a hand over his mouth so he couldn't talk to Glitch, and she wrapped another around his waist.  
  
"YES!" she laughed manically. "ALL MINE!"  
  
Megabyte smiled at the empty space where the pair had been a nano ago. "Thank you, Dear Sister," he purred. "Have fun, Bob."  
  
Now he turned his full attention back to Starwell. "Now, where were we?" He gripped her more tightly, causing her to grunt in pain. "Ah, yes, I remember now."

He chuckled. "I could enjoy this all second, but unfortunately I have other pressing matters to attend to."  
  
A pair of metal tendrils extended from somewhere on Megabyte's body; Starwell never saw where because her frightened eyes stayed on Megabyte's face. The ends of the tendrils shot into her midsection, piercing her Bitmap like spikes.  
  
She cried out, and he let go of her shoulders; she began to go limp as the metallic tubes began their attempt to infect her. Starwell no longer heard the antics of the nearby catfight, or the continuous "MINE, MINE, MINE" even when a loose object got hurled over her and Megabyte's head.  
  
Megabyte retracted his tendrils. The User was limp in his arms. The virus gently laid her down.  
  
"STARWELL!" Bob shouted, as a single Hex-Clone held him close and violently shirked away the others.  
  
Megabyte chuckled, "I shouldn't worry about her Bob, she's quite safe. For now," the virus turned his back, "I will leave you and my... sister, alone. You have a lot of catching up to do." The virus disappeared, away from Bob's vision.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Ray Tracer flew into the city on his Surf Board. Behind him were a series of red and black virus copies, chasing him; they were fast, but his swift Board and his keen evasive skills kept them from catching up to him.  
  
In his palm he held a wipe command, extra tech left by the Guardians after Daemon's infection. He flew into the frozen sectors of the city, using the command function as he went. He hoped that he would get to Los Angles in time.

0o0o0o0

Matrix had expected retaliation, an insult, or something from the Rogue Guardian. But none came, and he continued to walk. First order of business is to get a Zip Board, and head to Los Angles.  
  
He figured Starwell would be there; the Hex-Copies being predictable despite their random nature. He could be confident that Bob would be there or heading there as well.  
  
Matrix was a while away when the most hate-filled shriek echoed in the remaining "active" system.  
  
Gizmo squawked and shifted a bit on Matrix's arm. It could tell that they were getting closer to it's proper owner. It beeped in excitement, urging the Renegade to move faster.

0o0o0o0

Starwell lay on the ground for several long moments, numb and stiff. She was barely conscious, although her mind wasn't processing much of anything.  
  
Eventually she stirred slightly, groaning. Her ears picked up sounds, as if hearing them from far, far away. They sounded like shrieks of agony, as if someone or something was dying. Or being wiped out.  
  
Finally her eyelids fluttered open. She moved her arm, trying to push herself up; her entire body felt numb, tingly. She hurt all over. "Whoa... what happened?" she grunted. She groaned and rested her head against the ground again. Perhaps she would just stay right where she was for a few moments, until her form felt like moving.  
  
Just as long as nothing tried to kill her... she figured she would be alright.  
  
"Starwell!" Bob rushed over to Starwell’s lying form. She was moving, and there was no sign of an infection. But he needed to get her to the Principal Office for a scan. He long knew that a Viral User was the worst ingame; it was possibly catastrophic in the Net.  
  
"Well, that could'a gone betta," said Ray as he floated his surfboard down, close to the floor level. He looked over Bob and Starwell, "What happened to her?"  
  
"Megabyte is back. We need to get to the Principal Office. Now." Bob hefted Starwell into his arms, and on to his zip board.  
  
Starwell still felt out of it, but she stirred a little more as Bob moved her. "Huh?" she uttered weakly, her eyelids fluttering.   
  
It took her a moment to remember what happened. The menacing face that stared into hers, the strong arms that grabbed her in an iron grip, the metallic tendrils that pierced into her bitmap...  
  
"Oh my God..." She breathed, squirming weakly in Bob's arms.  
  
“Hey, it’s okay,” Bob told her in a reassuring tone. “I’m getting you out of here.”  
  
She seemed to relax a little when she realized Bob was there… even if she didn’t like flying all that much. She supposed that she didn’t have to worry about him flying face-first into the side of a building, at least.  
  
Starwell rested her head against Bob’s chest and allowed her eyes to drift shut as the Guardian flew away from Los Angles, closely followed by the Surfer.

0o0o0o0

Anna Code awoke to a splitting headache. She hadn’t been offline for very long, even if the insane virus copy had given her a solid whack to the face. She grunted as she pushed herself up off the ground.  
  
Once she regained an awareness of her bearings, she looked around with a keen eye. It was impossible to know for sure without the aid of a Keytool, but from what she could tell the insane virus, along with the system bug, seemed to be gone. Perhaps someone had cleansed the system.  
  
But what did that mean? Did Megabyte get the User? Was he waiting to rendezvous with her somewhere? Anna cursed herself a fool, realizing that that was something she’d never discussed up front with the virus.   
  
Oh it was clearly obvious that Megabyte was in this for himself, for whatever his reasons were, but… perhaps she had hoped that the Virus would destroy the User outright. That was the only thing viruses were good for, after all.   
  
She quickly decided that this was something she needed to check up on. She needed to find out what the results of Megabyte’s endeavors were, especially now that the “diversion” seemed to be no longer happening.  
  
She managed to locate a zip board (okay, she swiped it, but hey, urgent Guardian business) and jumped onto it. Not quite sure what else to do or where else to go, she headed in the general direction of the Principal’s Office. If nothing else she figured that somebody there would be able to give her a head’s up.  
  
Or she could, at the very least, find out if Starwell was still there. For this reason, she ended up crossing paths with Bob and Ray Surfer as they were heading toward the Principal’s Office themselves. They took notice of her, although they barely slowed down as they passed her; they seemed to be in a hurry.  
  
“Wait just a nano!” Anna Code snapped, flying after them.  
  
Ray cast the Rogue Guardian a wary glance; his first encounter with her was still fresh on his mind. “We’re in a bit of a rush here,” he said in a dismissive, just-stay-out-of-our-way sort of manner.  
  
Anna pushed herself forward on her Zip Board, positioning herself directly in Bob’s path and forcing him to stop. “What happened here?” she demanded, eyeing the User in his arms.  
  
“She was attacked by Megabyte,” Bob said, “and I have to get her to the Principal’s Office.” His brow furrowed.   
  
“She was attacked by the virus?” Anna said. “And you’re taking her to the Principal’s Office?” Her fists clenched at her sides and she glared. “Are you insane, Guardian? If she’s been infected that is the last place you want to take her!”  
  
Ray cleared his throat. “We really need to get the lass checked out,” he urged calmly, reminding Bob of urgency of the situation.  
  
“Yes, of course,” Bob said.  
  
Before he could say anything else, Starwell stirred in his arms again. She looked around, and her eyes focused on Anna. Then she gasped softly.  
  
“Time for us to go,” Ray urged.  
  
“No, wait!” Starwell breathed, pointing a digit at Anna Code. “I heard it all! She’s responsible for the system bug and that fire-bird virus, too! She unleashed them because she’s working with Megabyte and she’s been trying to get to me!”  
  
“What?” Bob’s eyebrows shot up.  
  
“You sure about this?” Ray asked.  
  
“Yes! When Hexadecimal took me away, her pet… uh… Scuzzy? Yeah, Scuzzy, showed a recorded message.” Starwell gave Anna Code a glance that was somewhere between fearful and angry. “I heard her talking to Megabyte in the message! They made an agreement! She would create distractions and Megabyte would get me…”   
  
Starwell grimaced, touching her chest where the metallic tendrils had penetrated her. She knew the truth; Megabyte had gotten her. She felt fine for the most part, but… was she, really?   
  
A moment of silence passed as Ray and Bob exchanged glances, and then focused their full attention on the Rogue Guardian.  
  
“What’s done is done,” Anna Code stated simply, taking her pistol from her belt. She aimed it directly at Starwell’s head. “Guardian,” she snapped, “you can’t deny that she’s too dangerous to risk, especially with a potential viral infection. If you cannot do what is necessary to protect your own System… I will!”  
  
The corners of Anna’s lips moved upward slightly as her eyes narrowed. Perhaps now she would finally get the revenge she had been seeking for so, so long. Her finger began to tighten on the trigger.  
  
Something hard and metal crashed with Anna's hand. The gun went off, but missed its target completely and utterly. The gun bounced away from the force of impact, and Anna clutched her hand. The object that hit her hand was a gun of sorts. It was the kind that Guardians weren't allowed to have, and it was horrendously crushed.  
  
"Fire at my friends?" said a gruff voice behind, "I don't think so."  
  
Starwell gave a small shriek in Bob's arms, her entire form jolting so suddenly he nearly dropped her. For a moment she seemed convinced that it had been Anna Code's weapon that fired.  
  
Anna Code whirled around to look at her attacker, hissing through clenched teeth as she held her hand against her chest. The injury would require medical attention... eventually. But for now...  
  
"YOU!" Anna bellowed. "Get out of here or I'll...." She stopped. She quickly realized that she was running out of threats to utter, especially in the absence of Cappaten.  
  
Gizmo became active, beeping and whirring on Matrix's arm. It had detected its proper owner and, more importantly, the sprite who kept threatening her.  
  
It simply acted. It plucked itself off of Matrix's arm and flew in-between Anna Code and Alpha Starwell; it then released a powerful electrical jolt directly into Anna's chest.  
  
She shrieked and writhed in agony, then crumpled. She fell from her Zip Board and began a rapid descent toward the ground below.  
  
Ray Tracer, who knew the woman was troublesome, still didn't wish to see her plunge to her death. He swooped downward on his Surfboard and caught her offline form in his arms, then rejoined the others in the sky.  
  
"What should we do with her?" Ray asked, looking at Bob and glancing at Matrix. Then he noticed something, which Bob seemed to be looking at. "What's the matter with that little bugger?"  
  
Gizmo was still hovering in mid-air, somewhere near Starwell's partially limp form in Bob's arms. The User Keytool seemed to twitch and click. It scanned Starwell. Then it twitched again.  
  
"Gizmo...?" Starwell murmured weakly. "What's the matter? Come here." She extended her arm, the same arm that it usually clung to. Gizmo shrank back a couple of meters, yet it still seemed to be "looking" at her in the way only a Keytool could. It then began to shriek and beep quite a ruckus, as if it was freaking out or throwing a complete fit. No one could understand what it was saying or what its problem was.  
  
"It must be Megabyte's infection," Bob said softly. Matrix heard.  
  
"What? She's infected!?" Matrix would have flown right to Bob, likely in a fit of anger, when Ray came in-between.  
  
"Look mate, we're not entirely sure what the virus did," the surfer said, hefting the sprite in his arms to a more comfortable position, "We're just taking her to the Principal Office, see what's what."  
  
"If it’s Megabyte, bringing her to the Principal's Office is not going to help anything!" Matrix said with his teeth. He gave a glance to Starwell, and something of worry flashed in his eyes before being replaced with his ever present rage, "I'm going to find that unit of Shovelware, and I'm going to erase him from the face of the Net!"  
  
"Matrix! Enzo wait!" Bob yelled as Matrix flew away.  
  
Starwell swallowed. She eyed Anna Code's unconscious form in Ray's arms, somewhat nervously. But for the moment, the rogue Guardian appeared to be out cold.  
  
"Come on, Gizmo," she said. She licked her lips nervously. "It's me, I'm okay! I feel okay anyway." Gizmo clicked and whirred. It inched toward Starwell, beeping softly. It stopped and hovered just outside of her reach; she couldn't grasp it.  
  
It beeped at her.  
  
"Yeah, okay..." Starwell relented and rested her head against Bob's chest, closing her eyes. "Better to be safe than sorry I guess."  
  
Bob and Ray exchanged glances. "Come on," Bob said. "We need to get moving."  
  
"What are we gonna do with Miss Code?" Ray asked, cocking a blond eyebrow.  
  
Bob sighed. It had just been revealed that Code was working with Megabyte and she had unleashed viral bugs upon the system; obviously she could no longer be trusted.  
  
He hated to do it, but... "We'll take her to the Principal’s Office too," he decided. "We'll lock her up." A Guardian had not been locked up in Mainframe since the Daemon infection, but perhaps it was necessary. It would keep Code under surveillance and out of the way until other matters were attended to.  
  
"Come on, Gizmo," Bob said to the Keytool. He wasn't going to just leave it out here.  
  
Gizmo beeped, a sound that was almost mournful, and it attached itself to Bob's other arm. At least it could be near Starwell... for the moment.  
  
With that, Bob and Ray flew toward the Principal’s Office.


	64. Chapter 64

Once they arrived at their destination, Bob hopped off of his Zip Board and immediately proceeded toward the appropriate chamber. Ray went off into another direction with Hack and Slash in tow, headed toward the holding cells.  
  
Bob had already called Phong on a VidWindow on the way, so his wizened old friend knew to expect them. Phong met the Guardian and Starwell in the room with the scanner.  
  
"You need to scan her right away," Bob urged as he gently set the girl down on the bed. She shifted slightly into a comfortable position, nestling into the bed. Otherwise she didn't move or say anything.  
  
"Yes, yes," Phong said, moving immediately toward the console. "You say that Megabyte may have infected her?"  
  
"Yes," Bob nodded grimly. He glanced at his arm as Gizmo plucked itself off his arm and set itself upright on its end atop nearby table. It was still near Starwell, just... not close enough for her to reach it.  
  
Starwell gazed up at the ceiling for a moment, then looked over at Bob and Phong.  
  
Phong’s long, wire-thin fingers sped across the console like spider legs. A ray of shimmering, golden light passed across the User-sprite’s slim form as she lay there quietly. The wizened old sprite peered at the scanner readouts for a long moment, tapping his pointed chin thoughtfully. His eyes flickered behind his spectacles as he poured over the readouts.  
  
“Well?” Bob pressed, impatient in spite of himself. “Is she okay?”  
  
Starwell swallowed, her fingers pressing into the sides of the medical bed. She appeared to be steeling herself for the worst. On the table, Gizmo beeped a neutral remark; half-encouraging, half-practical.  
  
“She is infected,” Phong answered.  
  
The User closed her eyes.  
  
“Oh no…” Bob breathed.  
  
“But…”  
  
“What?” Bob demanded, stepping closer to the console. “But what?”  
  
Phong looked up from the console. “The young User has a very strange format, a type of coding I have never seen before. The scan has detected Megabyte’s infection within her, but…”  
  
“But what?” Bob was starting to sound testy.  
  
Starwell stiffly pushed herself into a sitting position, giving Phong a sidelong glance.  
  
“The first time I scanned her, I noticed something odd about her coding,” Phong answered. “From what I can tell, no scan could possibly reveal everything about her because she appears to exist in a compressed-file state. It would be my guess that Starwell is a lot bigger than she appears.”  
  
Bob nodded in understanding. It meant the User was considerably large in volume, when it came to the coding and data that made her. “We still don’t know much about the process that brought her here,” he said, eyeing Starwell thoughtfully.  
  
“Can’t be much help there,” Starwell commented blandly, allowing herself to rest against the medical bed again. “My Uncle told me not to touch his system.”  
  
“So you’ve said,” Bob replied, comprehending more than ever. He somehow imagined that this was exactly the sort of situation that young Enzo might get himself into, if the situation had involved him instead of Starwell. The old ReadMe file would say, “Curiosity killed the cybercat”.  
  
He somehow figured that if her Uncle had been the one to enter the Net instead of her--perhaps that had even been his intention--her Uncle would have been a lot more knowledgeable, and would have been able to answer more questions.  
  
“So what’s gonna happen to me?” Starwell asked. “Am I gonna turn into a werewolf again?” She gave a forced, dry chuckle. It was too strained to portray any genuine humor.  
  
“From what I can tell, my child,” Phong said, “your format is too… different from everyone else’s to be affected much by this infection. Plus a lot of your coding is far too condensed within you to be scanned, read or mapped…” Phong’s eyes widened slightly when he took another look at something on the scanner readouts.  
  
“I would actually shudder to think what would happen if your format was ever decompressed,” Phong said.  
  
At another point in the future, Starwell might have thought back on this and realized the full extent of what that meant. The human body, mind, soul… all of it was far more complex than a sprite-program ever could be. Human memories, human senses, even the human body itself… it had never been meant to exist within the realm of the Net.  
  
Bob himself would later theorize after seeing the data for himself that even Daemon may not have been able to infect Starwell by much. But now was not the time for theorizing or speculation.

Starwell’s icon shone, momentarily encompassed by a strange set of colors. She sat bolt upright as a funny feeling washed over her. Her entire form jolted and shuddered, and an almost tangible wave seemed to erupt from the core of her format and dispense in all directions, passing through the very fabric of all around her like an invisible energy bubble expanding outward in every direction.

Bob grunted and jolted as the wave passed through his form. His bitmap flickered and distorted momentarily, but otherwise there were no ill effects.

It passed through Phong as well. It barely seemed to effect him at all, although his format made it next to impossible to effect or contaminate directly.

“What in the Net was that?” Bob uttered aloud, rubbing one of his temples. He cast a sharp glance in Starwell’s direction; she was lying still and breathing heavily, but seemed no worse for wear.  
  
A banging on the door got everyone’s attention; it was followed by what sounded like a snarl. “What was that?” Phong asked, his neck extending as his head rose higher in alarm.

0o0o0o0

He felt it when the Holder reached the Principal Office. On one of the Roofs of Mainframe, Megabyte stood. He chuckled, and even more so when he found the Young- Older- Matrix boy come into view.  
  
"MEGABYTE!" Matrix's yell cut through the sound of Mainframe traffic.

To those who heard it, they chilled.

But not Megabyte. The virus only laughed louder. "You're too late, Boy!"  
  
Matrix would have jumped him the moment the Zip Board got close, but burning pain caused him to lose momentum and hit the roof's top hard, leaving cracks. The pain spread through him, and he knew a similar experience.  
  
That game, the Werewolf transformations. It was so similar but different.  
  
"I do hope you like the new changes to your code," said Megabyte as Matrix writhed, "I've been saving my little trick for some time, and the arrival of the User couldn't be more appropriate. From what I got with my... intrusion of your... friend, I believe there is a ReadMe about this."  
  
Megabyte gestured to the city, as shrieks and screams started to sound from everywhere, "This, will be biblical."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Frank Forbes kept his hand over his mouth as he walked back into the house. Apparently cigars were starting to have a negative affect on his lungs; he continuously found himself hacking if he smoked one too long. Of course, it was very late and he didn’t want to wake anyone up, so he had to resist the urge to gag--or at least muffle the sound.  
  
Besides, he still had work that he wanted to get done. It was best to let the fat cow he shared his bedroom with have her sleep. In his opinion she made a far better Sleeping Beauty, because whenever she awoke she became the Wicked Witch of the West.   
  
Especially if she failed to get her morning coffee.  
  
He sighed as he managed to gain control of his faculties. Once he deposited the remains of his cigar into the ash tray in the living room, he moved quietly past his nephew, Greg, who lay sleeping on the couch. Typical teenager; it looked like the kid had dozed off in the middle of an Xbox game.  
  
Frank shook his head and proceeded toward his office. If nothing else, he would finish the installation process of the software and make sure it initialized correctly before he went to bed.  
  
When his fingers encircled the doorknob, he quickly noticed something. The door was not only unlocked, but it was open a crack. “Oh…. Shit,” he swore as he hastily stepped inside. How could he be so stupid and careless? He knew that his wife would never go into the office because she had no reason to, plus she despised computers. However, he currently had two teenagers staying at the house…  
  
He dashed over to his computer desk and checked it over. The experimental device he’d been working on was glowing, obviously having powered up. “Not possible,” he murmured under his breath. “When I left the room I hadn’t even finished installing--”  
  
He checked the screen and did a double-take. It appeared that someone had not only completed the install process, but also created a unique Username and password. Obviously someone had been fooling around with it.  
  
Frank cursed as his fingers began to fly over the keyboard in a blur. Within moments he found exactly what he was looking for; the data pertaining to the unauthorized access of his system. Apparently whoever came in here had input the Username “Alpha Starwell” and, as far as he could tell, had successfully been converted into an energy-based being and sent into the system.  
  
Hannah?  
  
He just had to make absolutely sure. He made a dash out of his office, snapping the door shut behind him as he charged down the hall toward one of the guest rooms. Frank opened the door without knocking, knowing that if Hannah was still in this house--or this world--she would probably be asleep in there.  
  
Her bed was empty. She wasn’t in the room at all. “Damn that girl and her curiosity!” Frank bolted from the room. A quick glance around the house told him that the girl didn’t appear to be present… anywhere. So either she had decided to venture outside for some reason in the wee hours of the morning, or…  
  
He went back to his office immediately. Once he bolted and locked the door from the inside, he discarded his jacket and sat down in his chair.  
  
“I gotta get her out of there,” he muttered, unsure whether to be very worried or just plain angry. This was a complicated turn of events that he did not need. As he began a search on his system for “Alpha Starwell”, knowing she had to be in there somewhere, he began to wonder why the females in his family had to be so damn curious and stick their nose into everything. Was this how Adam felt after Eve touched the forbidden fruit?  
  
What he saw on the screen caused him to scowl in fury. “What do you mean there is no file called Alpha Starwell?!” he barked at the screen, for whatever good it did. “She’s got to be in there!” His mind began to race. What if her new format couldn’t be found or accessed through conventional means? What if something had gone wrong during the conversion process and she had ceased to exist inside the computer? Or what if she had somehow been deleted, or something else had happened? Could she have been misfiled or misnamed?  
  
Frank swore, tightening his hands into fists. There was only one way he could find her, or at least find out what happened to her. He had to use the device himself to go inside the System… something he had intended to do from the start, under better conditions and with better precautionary measures. This was a device that he’d been given special permission to construct at home, even test on something harmless like a piece of fruit, but…  
  
It was not supposed to be used on people, at least not yet. The only reason he’d been allowed to work on it within his home at all was because the people who’d funded this project wanted it done away from prying eyes. They trusted Frank to keep the project under wraps for now, and having it done someplace secluded instead of inside a company building full of hundreds of people would help keep the project quiet. It was still highly experimental after all, and no one wanted the specs or the tech to fall into the wrong hands or be leaked to the general public… yet.  
  
However, due to his carelessness… his niece might be lost forever. He mentally kicked himself, realizing that he should never have allowed the kids to stay in this house for any reason. It was just too risky all around.   
  
“Damn my brother,” Frank swore. Hannah and Greg’s parents often went away on business trips, among other things, and would leave the teenagers with Frank and his wife, Marge. This was one of those cases where he wished his brother and sister-in-law would have just stayed home with the kids for once.  
  
He continued to mutter under his breath in frustration as he leaned over the device hardware, checking it over and making some adjustments. “When I find that girl… if I find her… I’m going to chew her out so much her ears will bleed!” He was very angry and horrified at what happened. What if she truly was gone forever, if the worst had happened? How in the world would he explain this to her parents, or worse, the people he worked for?  
  
After a thorough check of the hardware he plunked himself down in his computer chair. His fingers flew across the keyboard again as he accessed the system files that were responsible for managing and running the hardware. He ran through a checklist of features and functions, disabling some and activating others; a process that made him feel more “in control” due to his ability to customize.  
  
“Don’t need that… could use that… definitely don’t need that…” He continued down the list of options until he was finished. He then gave it a brief glance over the settings and features, then saved the changes.  
  
"Okay," he breathed. "Let's do this." He stood and kicked his computer chair out of the way. He then pressed a series of keys, inputting his own Username and password in order to obtain his own unique identity. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to return, as the computer wouldn't have anything to recognize him by. That was the way the software was programmed.  
  
"Please wait" flashed across the screen. Then, "This may take a few moments. Re-initializing."  
  
"Great," Frank muttered. It was possible that his tinkering with the software customizations had delayed things, but that couldn't be helped now. He could only stand there and wait.  
  
Then he heard a sudden banging on the outside of his office door that nearly made him jump out of his skin. "UNCLE FRANK! I need your help!" his nephew, Greg, shouted quite loudly as he pounded on the door. The kid didn't exactly have what one would call "manners" and could be quite loud and obnoxious when he wanted to be.  
  
"GREG!" Frank barked through the closed door. "You stop that right now and go to bed!" He couldn't possibly open the door, not now. But if the 14-year-old boy kept that ruckus up he might wake up Marge.  
  
The old bear was best left to her hibernation for as long as possible.  
  
"But this is important! Come on, you can talk to me for a minute!" Greg protested, continuing to bang on the door.   
  
"No! There's no time!" Frank snapped. "I will not say this again--GO TO BED!"  
  
"This is IMPORTANT! You have time, Uncle Frank; you stay cooped up in your cave all the time, you can talk to me for a minute!" Greg yelled. His fists hadn't left the door, either.  
  
Greg's eyes darted toward the screen. It said that it was ninety-percent initialized; perhaps he could spare a second or two. He gritted his teeth, unbolted and unlocked the door, then thrust it open.   
  
"Good God you stupid boy!" Frank snapped. "Don't you know I'm doing something important in here?! GO TO BED." Normally he did not get so angry with the kids, but this was urgent. He couldn't afford to be bothered and he wouldn't have his nephew waking up his wife.  
  
Greg was distracted by Frank's office the moment that his uncle had opened the door. "Cool room, about time you let someone in here," he said, brushing past Frank and walking into the office, looking around.   
  
"Greg--NO!"  
  
It was too late. The initialization completed and the converter device began to glow. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he took a step forward and grabbed his nephew roughly by the arms. Frank had every intention of throwing Greg out of the room, clear out of the conversion device's line of sight.  
  
If he had time, he would have done it. If only he had the time...  
  
Instead it caught both of them. And everything went black for what seemed like a few moments.  
  
Both of them found themselves standing in the middle of what looked like a city, with buildings on either side of them and some vehicles moving about. Several small, odd-looking creatures stopped and stared; some of them pointed.  
  
Then a masculine voice spoke over their heads, seeming to come from the sky itself: "ATTENTION: ADMINISTRATIVE FRANK TESTER HAS ENTERED THE SYSTEM."  
  
Then there was a pause.  
  
"ERROR: SECOND ADMINISTRATIVE DETECTED. ERROR: CANNOT IDENTIFY. THE SECOND ADMINISTRATIVE WILL BE ASSIGNED A USERNAME." Pause. "THE SECOND ADMINISTRATIVE IS NOW IDENTIFIED AS BETA TESTER."  
  
Frank slowly turned in a complete circle, taking in his surroundings as he marveled at this strange new world he found himself in. Apparently the Big Boys back home were right about their theories.... there was something inside the computer systems.  
  
"Holy.... shit..." Frank murmured, and then he shook his head as he remembered himself. He was here for a reason, after all; he could marvel at all of this later.  
  
But first...  
  
He whirled on his nephew and grabbed him by the shoulders, a bit more roughly than he intended. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Frank barked. His anger made him momentarily oblivious to the poor kid's terror and disorientation over what just happened to both of them. "WHAT was so damn important that you had to do that?!"  
  
Greg was looking around, terrified and extremely confused, before he finally looked at his uncle. "Uh, well..." he began. "I woke up and I decided to play with my Xbox… but then it overheated and I couldn‘t keep playing." He gulped as his Uncle’s face darkened. “I was in a great game of War of Gods Two!” he exclaimed, somewhat defensively, as any game addict would.  
  
Frank stared at his nephew with a completely dumbfounded expression for a very long moment. It had been a long time since he had been rendered so speechless. Then a single vein in his forehead began to throb and pulse with such intensity that it might burst; the man's face was a mask of pure rage.  
  
He raised his hands, as if seriously tempted to throttle the kid... but then he seemed to regain control of himself.  
  
"Greg," he said in a sharp tone, "I am going to send you back to my office, and I want you to go to bed and forget you ever saw any of this." His eyes narrowed into slits. "Do you understand?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, Uncle Frank, won't hear any complaints from me," Greg said, still very confused and almost dazed as he looked around.   
  
Frank let out a huff. He seriously wanted to punch something, but he had to control himself. "Now I just need to figure out how to send you back from here," he mused, looking up toward the sky.


	65. Chapter 65

"I believe I can answer that."  
  
Both of the Users turned sharply in the direction of the voice. The being that stood there looked very much like... a human-sized insect. Or sprite-sized, as was the case inside the computer system. It's skin looked like dark reddish brown metal, it stood on a pair of powerful legs, and it had four arms--two were level with its shoulders, the other two were located just above its waist. Its waist curved into a long, slender abdomen that curved sharply; the general shape suggested it had a stinger. A pair of silk-like wings were folded against its back, shining in the light like reflective crystals.  
  
Its face was like that of a robotic ant or wasp. However, it had no antennae; only a visor that completely concealed its eyes. It had a pair of jaws that opened and close horizontally, ridged with points that looked like teeth.  
  
And whenever the creature spoke, it confirmed what its sleek, curvy and feminine figure seemed to imply; she was obviously female.  
  
Greg couldn't help but let out a scream. "WHERE ARE WE?!?!" he asked, still mortified at everything, especially this new...presence.  
  
Frank sighed, somewhat flustered. He himself felt disoriented at his surroundings, and it had occurred to him that he had no idea what to expect. This place could be dangerous for all he knew. He closed his eyes for a moment, took in a deep breath, and then turned to face his nephew. He gently touched the boy's shoulders, casting a brief glance at the bug-creature to make sure she wasn't making any threatening moves. The only thing she seemed to be doing was looking at them curiously.  
  
"You stay back," Frank growled in a commanding tone. He somehow managed to keep the fear and uncertainty out of his voice.  
  
The reddish-brown insectoid froze, her form going rigid. If her body language could be translated into human terms, she seemed a bit… stung by his command. After a moment the creature seemed to recover and she made a shrug-like gesture with her upper arms. "If that is your wish,” she replied after a moment. Her professional tone sounded slightly miffed at his dismissal of her presence. “I am here if you require assistance.”

Her head snapped up and glanced about as her form became more erect. She seemed to be paying less attention to the Users and more attention to their surroundings, as though keeping a general eye out for potential danger.  
  
Frank's gaze lingered on her a moment longer, then he bent down on one knee and looked into Greg's eyes. "Greg," he said, "look at me." He gave his nephew's shoulders a gentle squeeze. "It's okay. I'm sorry I yelled at you, okay? Just stay calm and focus on me. I'll keep you safe."  
  
Greg hesitantly nodded. "Okay....okay," he said. He was obviously scared out of his mind and had possibly gone into shock from the brief, but intense, chaos.  
  
"Good boy." Frank gave the kid a brief, one-armed hug to try and comfort him, then he stood and face the bug-creature. He kept one hand on Greg's shoulder and positioned himself between the kid and the odd being. He had already lost track of Hannah due to his carelessness; he wasn't going to lose another.  
  
“No offense,” Frank began firmly though cautiously, “but you don’t look like something I thought I’d find in my computer system.” In truth, she looked like a humanoid version of something he would swat off of his computer monitor. He had at least enough tact to refrain from saying that, though.

The creature tilted her head to one side. “I am here to render assistance, if need be,” she stated. “I am Qsa Linex. My function is to help regulate between cyberspace and physical reality and,” she leaned forward somewhat, giving him a meaningful glance, “my scans have shown that you both are new arrivals from the User world.”  
  
"Is that so?" Frank asked, skeptical. He believed he had every right to be cautious, even suspicious, since he had never been in this kind of environment before. He thought briefly of the conversion device and all of the settings he had tinkered with in the software, trying to figure out if there was anything he should remember.

At present, the only thing he knew for sure was that this bug-lady was taller than himself. He had never felt comfortable around women who were taller than him, though finding himself face-to-face with a non-human female who looked like something out of a science fiction movie made it worse.  
  
"Well, yes," The creature said. She took a couple steps forward and then gestured to herself. "I am from the conversion hardware, the one which is responsible for bringing each of you into the Net. It is my home, and it is under my command.”  
  
Frank pursed his lips thoughtfully as he considered this. The truth was, the conversion hardware had been designed to create some form of assistance for any User who used it to come into the system. Truth be told, he had no idea how it would end up manifesting itself; all of this was outside of his league, even though he had invented the hardware and helped design the software.  
  
"Okay," Frank said slowly. "Can you return my nephew to the outside world, through the conversion hardware?" The last thing any of them needed was for a freaked out kid to start running amok. Even if Greg did behave himself and stay by his Uncle’s side, it was simply a distraction Frank couldn’t afford to be sidetracked by right now.  
  
Linex's wings buzzed slightly. "That is one of my functions," she said. "I am here to serve as a key to activate it when you both wish to leave."  
  
Frank nodded. "Alright. Do you know where my niece is, Hannah--Alpha Starwell?”  
  
Linex tilted her head to one side. “Yes, the first User to enter this system had the Username Alpha Starwell.” Even behind the tinted visor, it seemed that her eyes had widened with wonder. “You are her Uncle? You are the one who created the hardware, and the software that runs it?”  
  
“Well, yes, I am,” Frank answered with a nod.  
  
“Then… you created me and my subordinates.” Qsa Linex regarded him for a long moment, then she knelt down on the ground. Since the joints on her legs bent in the opposite way from a human’s it looked more like she was sitting bird-like. She then bowed her head and extended one of her upper arms toward him, pressing her other arm against her torso and wrapping the two middle arms around her waist.   
  
“On behalf of myself and my subordinates,” she said in a voice full of gratitude, “I wish to thank you for my life, for the lives of my fellow programs, and for our home and our purpose.”  
  
Linex’s form bowed a little lower, and then she stood and straightened to her full height again. Her crystal-like wings stretched and shivered a bit, then folded themselves back up on her back.  
  
For a long moment Frank could only stare. Never in his life had he ever been addressed in such a manner, especially with such… reverence. The first thing he felt in response was simply stunned. Better be careful with this kind of thing, he thought, chiding himself gently. Self-aware programs meeting their creators… amazing. This kind of reception could really go to a man’s head.  
  
Frank shook himself, forcing his mind back to a more important issue at hand; his niece. The thought made him tense even more. He needed to try and find her.  
  
But first...  
  
"Send Greg home," he commanded. "Now."  
  
Qsa Linex buzzed shrilly. "It would be my honor to comply. However… it will take time before the hardware is fully recharged.”  
  
Frank sighed. “How much time?” Even as the words left his mouth, he already knew the answer because he had created it. It would take a couple of minutes for a proper, thorough recharge. But in a pinch…  
  
“Thirty seconds at the very least,” Qsa Linex replied.  
  
“Thirty seconds…” Frank murmured to himself. A slight headache began to throb behind his left temple as he really thought about it. “Time is different here, isn’t it?”  
  
“Starwell was… astonished and somewhat disheartened when she reached the same realization,” Qsa Linex acknowledged. “However, once it is fully recharged I can send you both back.”  
  
“Right now I just want to send Greg back,” Frank said. Greg nodded fervently, clinging to his Uncle’s hand like a spooked six-year-old.  
  
“I am afraid that is not possible,” Linex said.  
  
“Not possible? What do you mean?” Frank narrowed his eyes.  
  
“If you wish to send the young User back alone, that is not something I can do safely,” Qsa Linex clarified.  
  
"Why not?!" Frank demanded.  
  
"Because," Linex explained patiently, "you both entered the Net together. Due to the energy fluxuations and the way the data patterns were stored, I must send you back together."  
  
"I don't understand. Are you saying it isn't possible to send us back separately?"  
  
"The software will not allow it." Qsa Linex folded her upper pair of arms again.  
  
Frank blew out a frustrated breath. Whether this was a simple matter of physics or simply a software hiccup he hadn't anticipated--or both--he had no idea. But he couldn't do much about it from within the system, and there wasn't time to check into it anyway.  
  
"So… why don't we both go back then, Uncle Frank?" Greg asked, looking at the man. His eyes almost seemed to be pleading with Frank just to go back and leave this place so that Greg could be home.  
  
Frank closed his eyes. He gave his nephew's shoulder another squeeze. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "But I can't afford to leave right now... we have to find your sister."   
  
"What? My sister?" Greg asked. This seemed to slightly snap him out of his daze of shock. He looked around the vast place, taking it in. "Hannah is...here? How did she get here?!"  
  
"Same way you did," Frank answered testily. "Poking her nose into a place she had no business being. I have told you kids a million times not to--" He stopped, rubbing his forehead warily. "Never mind," he said in a calmer tone. There would be plenty of time for lectures later.  
  
“Come on, Uncle Frank! This place is too weird, and it’s freaky!”  
  
“Even if we could go back,” Frank replied stiffly, “you heard the lady. We’d have to wait another thirty seconds for the hardware to recharge. And…” He closed his eyes briefly and blew out a breath. “Time is very different when you’re physically in the Net.”  
  
“What does that mean?!”  
  
“It means it’ll be more like waiting a month, I think,” Frank replied testily, more irritated at the situation than his nephew.  
  
Greg sulked and pressed his lips together in a pout, even as he continued to glance about with widened eyes. He still clung to his Uncle’s hand, as though using the older man as an anchor to try and gain some kind of bearing in this alien environment.  
  
Frank gave the boy’s hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze and then turned his attention back to the insect-like sprite. "What else can you do?" he asked her. "Can you help us find my niece?"  
  
"Yes, Starwell…” Qsa Linex looked up at the sky, spreading her wings high and wide. “She is no longer in this system.”  
  
“Then where is she?” Frank demanded. “What happened to her?”  
  
“…That will require some explanation,” Qsa Linex sighed. “Not here, let us go to the hardware device you created, my User. We have… much to discuss.”  
  
Before Frank could do more than open his mouth, Linex placed a hand on his shoulder as well as Greg’s shoulder. Then, in a brilliant flash of light, the three of them vanished and appeared inside what seemed to be a large room.  
  
Greg screamed at the top of his lungs and it took Frank several nanos to calm him down. Once the boy was more or less quiet (except for a low whimpering sound) and seated in a cushioned chair, Frank took a moment to look around.  
  
“Where are we?” Frank asked warily, though intrigued and curious.  
  
“We are inside your… invention,” Qsa Linex answered with a flourish. She seemed to brighten when the significance sunk in and her User began to look around with a keen eye.  
  
“So this is how it looks from your perspective,” Frank said favorably. He continued to examine the room, pleased to see what he had created. He also felt astonished that it seemed so much more than what he thought he had created.  
  
Linex’s mouth components parted to speak, but then she stopped and tilted her head to one side. She seemed to listen to something only she could hear. “Please forgive me,” she said, holding up one hand. “My presence is required in the control room for a moment.”  
  
“Is something wrong?” Frank asked.  
  
“My assistance is needed to recalibrate the hardware for continued use,” Linex replied. “I will return shortly.” With that, she was gone.  
  
Frank stared after her for a moment, then he simply shook his head. “This is absolutely astonishing,” he breathed. “It’s so much more than I thought possible… and so different. So alien..”  
  
A loud whimper snagged his attention, reminding him of Greg’s presence in the room. He turned to face the kid again, kneeling down to his level. "You doing alright, boy?" he asked in a somewhat gentler tone.  
  
"I...I guess. Where are we?" Greg asked again. He seemed to be getting his bearings, somewhat.   
  
"We are inside my computer system. Specifically… we’re inside the hardware device that brought us into the computer." He made a sweeping gesture to indicate the room around them. "This is what it looks like from within, and… there are sentient programs who reside in here. We have probably met the first of many!”  
  
"So your computer took us inside of it?!" Greg asked in shock, looking around. "There are places inside a computer? Huh?" Things seemed to make less sense to the kid now than they did before he found out where they were.  
  
"Trust me... this wasn't what I was expecting either." Frank glanced around again. "At least... not exactly." He and the Big Boys back at the company headquarters suspected that there might be something within the computer systems; that was why this entire project was funded. But to finally see it in person... it was beyond amazing.  
  
"Is this whatever you've been doing in your office for so long?" Greg asked curiously. He could at least put that much together.  
  
"Yeah, pretty much." Frank gave a little shrug. "Right now we're just gonna focus on finding Hannah, then we're going home." He gazed toward the sky again, and glanced around the city. "I just hope we find her soon." The worst thing that could happen was they'd discover she had been deleted or removed from the system somehow.  
  
"I hope so, too. What could she even be doing in here?" Greg wondered out loud. Although that seemed like a loaded question.  
  
Some time passed as both of them waited. Frank made idle chit-chat about Greg's schoolwork and his activities on the Xbox 360 until finally Qsa Linex reappeared. Her shining, reflective wings nearly blinded Frank as she landed gracefully on her feet.  
  
“Everything okay?” Frank asked her. Since this was his own personal invention, it mattered to him if it was running okay as a matter of personal interest. Not to mention it was the only way back home.  
  
“Yes it is now,” Linex nodded. “Now, I must inform you that a series of… unfortunate events took place after Starwell entered the system.”  
  
“What kind of unfortunate events?” Frank demanded, a slight growl entering his voice. “Where is my niece?”  
  
Qsa Linex sighed. “There have been… mixed feelings over the notion of Users entering the Net. This system’s Guardian, Anna Code, saw Starwell as a threat.”  
  
“Did this program hurt her?” Frank’s hands clenched at his sides.  
  
“No, Guardian Anna Code did not get the opportunity to do so. Starwell ended up fleeing from the system, and the Guardian went after her.”  
  
Frank inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. “So what does this mean? Where is she?”  
  
“I do not know for certain,” Linex replied, bowing her head again as if this were her own personal failure. “However, it is my duty to inform you that I have been asked to escort both of you to the Principal Office.”  
  
“What? What is that?”  
  
“It is located at the System Core, the place that runs the system.” Linex squared her shoulders. “Under normal circumstances, I… would prefer to give you a tour of this place.“ She inhaled deeply. “I would love to hear if this place meets up to your expectations… but there are more important matters to attend to at present, especially since I know you wish your niece’s safe return.“  
  
“Yeah, I do,“ Frank nodded.  
  
Qsa Linex nodded in return. “I took the liberty of speaking with Zettabyte, the Command Dot Com of this system about your presence here. She wishes to speak to you as soon as possible, and… she may be able to provide you with more information.”  
  
Greg looked at his uncle, deciding to let him take the lead here. He didn't have anything to add; he was extremely confused on all of these terms, such as 'guardian' and 'command dot com,' but he'd let Uncle Frank sort it all out. He guessed he was just... here.  
  
"...Alright then," Frank said hesitantly. He assumed that those were references to the system's leaders, or something like that. "Lead the way."  
  
“I will take you there immediately.” Qsa Linex once again stepped close, spreading her wings wide and touching each of their shoulders.  
  
“No, we’re not gonna zap into another place are we?” Greg demanded, and then his eyes flew wide. “No, no--AAAAHHHH!” And then they were gone from the room.


	66. Chapter 66

Frank tried his best to ignore the heads that turned in their direction after they entered the Principal’s Office, even if he couldn't help but stare in return at the sprites and binomes within. In a way he wasn't sure who appeared more strange to these sentient programs, the pair of Users, or the bug-like creature that walked ahead of them.  
  
Qsa Linex walked down the central corridor with the Users in tow, until she reached a brown-haired sprite at the end of it. "I have brought them," she stated.  
  
The sprite nodded. He gave all of them a glace-over, though his gaze settled upon Qsa Linex first. “I never expected to see you come here in person,” he told the insectoid in astonishment.  
  
“I have little reason to roam your city, unless my function commands me to,” Qsa Linex replied simply. “At present, proceeding directly to your Principal Office with the Users seemed to be a prudent course of action.” Her wings buzzed a little in mild agitation. “It was, after all, due to your Guardian that we lost Starwell.”  
  
The brown-haired sprite looked away momentarily. Something about his face and his body language exuded anger and anguish simultaneously.   
  
He then eyed the Users warily. "Hello, to both of you," he greeted. "You must be the Users that the system announced... Frank Tester and Beta Tester."  
  
Frank cocked his head to one side, and extended his free hand--the one that Greg wasn’t clinging to like Velcro. "Just call me Frank."  
  
The sprite didn't take it. "I'm George Mount," he said, somewhat stiffly. "Come with me... Zettabyte, our Command Dot Com, wants to talk to you." He turned on his heel and lead them the rest of the way down the hall, through a set of double-doors.  
  
Frank glanced at his nephew, then at Qsa Linex. Greg still looked like a deer caught in the headlights and the female insectoid seemed to be waiting matter-of-factly for him. Frank shook his head slightly and stepped forward with Greg in tow and Linex walking at his shoulder.  
  
They soon found themselves in a modest room with a couple of terminals, but mostly furniture. It looked something like a hotel room, except with other things in as well, including a view screen on the wall. Okay, it looked like a Star Trek hotel room... sort of.  
  
"I've brought the Users," George announced, jerking a thumb in their direction. He then took a seat.  
  
A gold-skinned sprite with bright yellow eyes rose to greet them. Her mannerisms were that of someone with authority, much the same way Linex carried herself, except this sprite carried an almost grandmotherly warmth.   
  
Qsa Linex was not exactly cold, but she bore herself in a much more business-like manner. The insectoid Queen had grace and social skills, though she wasn’t the type who would loosen up much at cocktail parties… if they had that kind of thing in systems. Frank supposed if he ever had time after all of this was over, perhaps he could find out about that sort of thing.   
  
"On behalf of System Watson Codec," the golden-skinned sprite said, "I would like to welcome you and offer salutations." She gestured toward the chairs. "Sit down, please."  
  
Greg had continued to follow Frank, and hesitantly took a seat. These people looked really, really freaky to him, and he was still lost in all of this, but he figured that his Uncle could handle them...and this bug lady seemed to be their friend...he thought?  
  
Qsa Linex matter-of-factly took up a position in the corner of the room, near the door. She looked like she was on self-appointed sentry duty. In truth, she had simply chosen to be alert and stay out of the way as the others attended to their business. She was present if she had anything to say or if anything unexpected came up. Until then, she might as well have been a statue.  
  
Frank stood next to the chair where Greg sat. "Hello to you as well," he greeted politely. "Call me Frank. This is my nephew, Greg."  
  
"The system identifies him as Beta Tester," George said. "Which is his name?"  
  
"We appear to have distinct Usernames here... but we go by different names outside the Net," Frank answered simply. "Look, I'm in a hurry here, so... could you tell me what you know about my niece?" As an afterthought he added, "Please?"  
  
Zettabyte rose, folding her hands together in front of her. "Well," she began, "first I'd like to say on behalf of System Watson Codec that it is unfortunate we lost her, considering she is the first known User to ever set foot inside the Net. But..." She averted her gaze. "You must understand that not everyone welcomes Users... with good reason, I might say."  
  
"What sort of reasons?" Frank demanded. "Are you saying someone attacked Hannah?"  
  
"To answer that," Zettabyte said, "I need to tell you about our Guardian, Anna Code."  
  
Frank folded his arms. "Go on."  
  
"Wait," Greg said. At first he didn't necessarily mean to interrupt, but he guessed that his desires got the better of him. "What is a Guardian?"  
  
Frank looked annoyed, but Zettabyte answered. "A Guardian is someone who protects a system," she said.  
  
"At least she's supposed to," George said, a bit bitterly. "Anna... left us."   
  
"We are hoping she will return," Zettabyte added.  
  
"Fat chance of that." George stood. "The only way to find her is to go looking for her!" He turned to face Frank. "If you're going to look for Starwell... I know Anna went in the same direction, if she truly found a way to track her. I am going with you."  
  
"George, are you sure?" Zettabyte asked, before Frank could say anything.  
  
"We are talking about my wife here! I..." George clenched his fists. "I need to know what happened to her... where she went."  
  
"Very well," Zettabyte said with a reluctant sigh. "Perhaps you can assist each other in your quest."  
  
"So who is this Guardian?" Frank asked. "And why did she threaten Hannah--or Starwell?"  
  
"That is a complicated story... and not a happy one," Zettabyte answered sadly. "Let me tell you about what happened when Anna was just a young sprite..."  
  
Frank listened intently as Zettabyte told him about Guardian 752 and her life story, as George Mount filled in a few details here and there. Frank barely interrupted at all, still trying to process everything that was going on and everything he was being told.  
  
Greg, for his part, was still glued to his chair in utter silence. Throughout most of the exchange he sat there, barely moving. But as time passed, he seemed to grow more adjusted to his current surroundings, to the point where he dared to vacate his seat and move around the room.  
  
Qsa Linex continued to stand in the corner near the door, aware of everything that was being said. She eyed Greg as the younger User began to move about, observing his movements with one of the many eyes that were concealed behind her visor.   
  
Finally Zettabyte and George finished, and a silence filled the room.   
  
It was broken by Greg. “Is there a bathroom here?” he asked. “I gotta go really bad.” Indeed, he seemed to be doing a little dance.  
  
Zettabyte glanced up. “Go out the door and down the hall,” she instructed. “Third door on the left.”  
  
“Linex, would you mind going with him?” Frank requested the Queen. Part of him wasn’t entirely sure about leaving his nephew alone with the strange creature, but he still had important things to discuss with Zettabyte and George. Plus he had a good feeling about Linex; she was a bit odd, (so was everyone else here…) but he deemed her trustworthy.  
  
“Very well.” Linex acknowledged without hesitation. She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders and took a step forward, gesturing the boy to follow. Under normal circumstances, she would not so readily agree to be anyone’s escort or watcher. However, a portion of her function was to assist Users who came into the Net, and she felt especially indebted to her creator, so…  
  
Greg looked mildly horrified. “You’re not making her come into the bathroom with me!” he exclaimed. It was impossible to tell whether he disliked the idea of a seven-foot bug-creature following him around, or the fact that it was a female bug-creature.  
  
Linex was neither amused nor annoyed, she simply gazed at the kid serenely. “I will simply walk you down the hall and wait for you outside the restroom,” she stated blandly. “I will not hold your hand, and I will not stare at you while you use the facilities.” She folded her set up upper arms. “Just do not linger too long.”  
  
Greg practically gulped as he walked past her and headed down the hallway. Qsa followed him out.  
  
“I must say I’ve never seen anything quite like her before.” George shook his head as he stared in the direction Greg and Linex had gone.  
  
“She reminds me somewhat of a Codemaster,” Zettabyte said thoughtfully, “although I have not seen her exhibit any of those traits. She does not have a weapon such as they have.”  
  
“Honestly, I’m not even sure what she is,” Frank admitted. They had been honest with him about a lot of things, so he figured he should do the same. Especially since he was way out of his element here. “I mean, I have a rough idea, but… I had no idea the software would make something to aid me that would manifest itself in that form.”  
  
“Well,” Zettabyte said fairly, “it seems that there are a lot of things that Net inhabitants do not know about Users… and vice versa.”  
  
“You can say that again,” George remarked. “So tell me something… Users really don’t know about us? You don’t know what happens when you input games?”  
  
“No,” Frank said, shaking his head. “Well, some of us have been curious about what goes on inside computer systems… and I suppose some of us have made guesses there might be something here. That’s how I ended up signing on with this project that can bring Users into computers. They needed my expertise, and I was intrigued.”  
  
“It seems to have been a success,” Zettabyte mused, touching her chin thoughtfully.  
  
“Yeah,” Frank muttered. “Just for the record, my niece wasn’t supposed to use it. The girl snuck into my office while I was outside. By the time I realized what happened…” He blew out a frustrated breath. His forced calm was momentarily forgotten. “Apparently she had already entered the system and… got out through the internet--damn it, I should never have left the room with all of this running. I should have locked the damn door!” He slammed his fist against the armrest of his chair.  
  
George drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Look,” he said carefully, “I just want my wife back. She left because she was pursuing your niece, and I have a feeling she won’t be back until she finds her.”  
  
“Sounds like you blame me for what happened.” Frank rubbed his temples warily. “I suppose I deserve it,” he grumbled.  
  
“Yeah, I do blame you for what happened,” George admitted stiffly, then his face softened marginally. “But… well, you can help make it right, now that you’re here.”  
  
“Then there isn’t much time to waste,” Zettabyte said. She stood. “Unfortunately it will be very difficult to tell where they went. Anna was apparently able to run a trace on Starwell’s current whereabouts, due to a Tracking Cookie that became an extension of her coding once she appeared in this system.”  
  
Frank nodded, pursing his lips in thought. That made sense; there was supposed to be a tracking cookie formed for each User who stepped into a system, in case something like this happened. “What happened to the Tracking Cookie?” he asked.  
  
“Anna took the cookie with her,” George answered. “We got a VidWindow from your friend, Linex, soon after it happened. Somehow she detected the Cookie leaving the system and…” He shook his head. “She was not happy, especially since she said the Cookie wasn’t even supposed to be outside the Tower.”

“It would seem that there are… glitches that Qsa Linex has been working hard to sort out with her subordinate programs,” Zettabyte said, thinking back on a conversation she’d had with the Queen of the Tower. The Command Dot Com steepled her fingers before her. “Apparently she got it fixed. I got the distinct impression that her security forces have been upgraded and their protocols modified. No other Tracking Cookies will be able to wander off on their own.”  
  
“Makes sense,” Frank said under his breath. That would explain why his system hadn’t found any trace of “Alpha Starwell” when he ran a search from outside the computer. “Well, that just makes this all the more difficult,” he commented.  
  
The door opened and Greg ran back inside, looking somewhere between panicked and flustered. Qsa Linex gave the kid a look as she re-entered the room, and she stood matter-of-factly near the door like a sentry once again.  
  
“Uncle Frank!” Greg yelled, dashing over to his Uncle, “that bathroom--it’s alive!”   
  
“What are you talking about, boy?” Frank asked, more annoyed than he was curious at the moment.  
  
“The toilet was staring at me! When I tried to flush it, it flushed itself!”  
  
Frank rolled his eyes. “That’s the way a lot of public restrooms work,” he said irritably. “They have automatic sensors.”  
  
“No! This one had eyes! It looked at me! And it said my output tasted strange on the way down!” Greg yanked on his Uncle’s arms. “Come on, Uncle Frank! I wanna get out of here! This place is too weird!”  
  
Frank pulled an arm free of Greg’s grasp and gripped the boy firmly by the shoulder. “Greg. Greg! Calm down.” He gave his nephew a little shake. “Look, I know all of this is very strange, but we need to find your sister. We can’t go home until then.”  
  
“But they have talking toilets that eat our shi--”  
  
“Young man,” Zettabyte spoke up firmly, “don’t you think that the sewage system has to eat, too?” She raised a shiny blond eyebrow. “Once they are finished filtering out the energy waste… what is returned to us is purified energy that can be consumed without fear of corruption or error poisoning.”  
  
“What is that supposed to mean?!” Greg stared up a this Uncle.  
  
Frank sighed. “If I understand it right,” he explained with a patience he didn‘t feel, “it works the same way our sewage system does back home. They filter dirty and contaminated water and the clean water returns to us through our showers and our sink faucets. The filtered contamination then gets used for… well, fertilizer or such.”  
  
Normally Frank would never have had the patience at all to go into a lengthy explanation on this matter, or any matter. Part of the reason why he and Marge never had kids was because he couldn’t stand children; he preferred his computers. At least if a computer acted up, you could blame it on a software problem or a hardware fluke, and that could be analyzed and fixed.  
  
Yet somehow… ever since Frank had come into the Net, he felt his analytical side engulfing his being a bit more. Obviously the process had changed him somewhat, even though he was still the same person.  
  
Or was he? Did becoming an energy-based being change the way he processed data and interacted with others? Then again, computers had always been his livelihood. A small part of him began to wonder… if he had found his true home, in a way. Strange thought, that.  
  
“EEEEWWWWWWW!!!!” Greg yelled. “You’re telling me that every time I take a bath I’m using old toilet water that someone shit in? Yuck!”  
  
“It’s perfectly clean by the time it gets back to the water tanks,” Frank sighed, noting that Zettabyte and George were exchanging odd glances. Those two couldn’t quite understand the odd terminology the Users were talking about.   
  
“Look,” Frank said tersely, “we’re stuck here for now, and it’s not gonna get any easier with you going ballistic. Get over it and act your age.” He took Greg by the arms and sat the boy down in a chair.  
  
“But Uncle Frank--!”  
  
Frank held up a finger. “Shut your mouth!”  
  
Greg pouted, folding his arms and scowling. He muttered something under his breath that sounded decidedly like, “I’m gonna kill Hannah for getting me into this,” but he said nothing else.  
  
“So,” George spoke up when he had a chance, “about finding Anna and Starwell…”  
  
“Right,” Frank said, pleased to get back on track. “Is there any possible way to find out where they went?”  
  
“I may be able to help there.”  
  
All heads turned to look at Qsa Linex.  
  
“How?” Frank asked.  
  
Linex stared straight ahead, not at anyone in particular but simply straight ahead, as if looking at something only she could see. “Yes,” she said, giving herself a little nod as if she’d just tried something and succeeded. “I have a limited ability to scan the Net.”  
  
“Scan the Net?” Zettabyte inquired. Usually that could only be done by as system’s Principal Office, to a limited extent; it could locate the whereabouts of other systems, or monitor a massive infection such as Daemon’s infection when she had been on the move. But anything more fine-tuned than that wasn’t possible.  
  
“Not the entire Net, no,” Linex quickly clarified. “I can… see inside a few systems that are nearby, but not much beyond that.” She looked at Zettabyte. “If you could give me a copy of Anna Code’s PID number and possibly her energy signature, I may be able to see if I can pinpoint her in a nearby system.”  
  
“Very well,” Zettabyte acknowledged. “Just give me a moment; I will return shortly.”  
  
Frank sank into one of the chairs and waited quietly. He deduced that the pieces of info that Qsa asked for were the program equivalent of identity records and fingers, or perhaps even something as deep as a DNA sample would be for humans.  
  
When the Command.Com returned with the requested information, Linex took it and input the data into her processor. Then she stared off into space again.  
  
Several moments passed. “I am unable to locate anyone with this PID address or energy signature in any of the neighboring systems.” She looked directly at Frank. “But that does not mean she isn’t out there; I could leave this System and perform a Net search.”  
  
“Then we’re going with you,” Frank said, rising.  
  
“Whoa wait a minute,” Greg jumped up. “What are you talking about? Where are we going?”  
  
“On an internet search,” Frank answered simply. “For real.”  
  
“No, no! I’m not going!” Greg folded his arms stubbornly. “I’m staying here!”  
  
“I’m not leaving you here alone,” Frank snapped, “and as I’ve said, we can’t go home without your sister. You are coming with us.”  
  
“And I’m going with you,” George said in a tone that allowed no argument. “I want to find my wife, and I’ll do it even if I have to search the far corners of the Net with you.”  
  
“You’re all crazy! Are you telling me we’re going to different computers now?!” Greg shouted.  
  
“If we have to,” Linex put in. “If we are going to find the missing sprites, we must do what is necessary.”  
  
“No! I’m getting out of here!” Greg sprinted toward the door. Frank made an attempt to grab the boy, but he was too quick.  
  
“Greg, come back here!” Frank barked.  
  
Linex solved the problem; she matter-of-factly leaped, almost grasshopper-like, in Greg’s path. When he slammed face-first into her, she simply picked him up and put him under one of her lower armpits, holding him securely. “Shall we go now?” she asked, raising her voice just enough to be heard over Greg’s indignant protests.  
  
“Yes, let’s,” George said, eager to get going. He gave the younger User-sprite a withering look, then turned back to Zettabyte.   
  
Zettabyte took George into her arms, giving him a motherly hug. “Bring Anna home safe,” she said with affection. She had no children of her own, but in a way she’d always watched over George and Anna as if they were her own offspring. “And you stay safe out there. You hear?”  
  
George squeezed her slender form. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” He grinned at her. “I’ve got our User watching my back, right?”  
  
“That… worries me as much as it relieves me,” Zettabyte commented as they broke off their embrace. “All of you,” she said to everyone, “be careful, and come back to System Watson Codec safely.”  
  
“We’ll be back before you know it,” Frank said, even though none of them had any idea how long this would take. “Greg,” he growled as they headed toward the door, “if you don’t stop saying those words I’m going to wash your mouth out with soap when we get home!”  
  
“But everybody uses those words!” Greg said defensively. “Everybody on Xbox Live and World of Warcraft talks that way! You talk that way, too!”  
  
“I’m over twenty years older than you, boy. I’m old enough to understand the time and place for that kind of language, and it’s not here and now!”  
  
“What does it mean to--” Qsa recited one of Greg’s sentences in curious bafflement. It was a sentence that began with a certain “F” word and ended with a word that rhymed with “grass-pole”.  
  
Frank glared at her. “From now on,” he stated stiffly, “if you hear any words coming from that boy’s mouth, and you don’t know what they mean… immediately delete them from your vocabulary.” Frank had a bad habit of swearing and cursing around his co-workers, his family members… even his boss.  
  
But for some reason… he didn’t want to see one of his creations tainted by such language, even if she was just a program. Perhaps it was partly because Marge swore at him every other word when she was angry at him… and the woman had a volatile temper.  
  
“Very well,” Qsa Linex said simply, and then proceeded out the door with Greg under her arm like an oversized rag doll; Frank followed them out.  
  
George lingered behind for a moment, looking back at Zettabyte. Would this be the last time they would see each other? There was no telling what would happen to them elsewhere in the Net, or where they would end up. He simply knew that he had to go.  
  
“Goodbye, Zettabyte,” George said with a little wave. His throat tightened with emotion; he swallowed in an attempt to soothe it.  
  
“Farewell… my son.” Zettabyte said with feeling. It was the first time she had ever called him that. Somehow though… it felt right.  
  
George smiled, but he couldn’t find any other words to say. He simply knew he couldn’t linger; he turned away and headed out the door, allowing it to close behind him.


	67. Chapter 67

The entourage took a cab to another part of the city, then they got out and walked the rest of the way to the internet port. George eyed the Users and their odd companion with curiosity and apprehension.   
  
Frank was eyeing his surroundings with the keen eye of a tourist from a faraway place--no, it was more than that. He was looking at everything the way an alien would when one came to a strange new reality.   
  
Greg, on the other hand, didn’t like being here in the slightest. The only reason he came along quietly was because Linex escorted him along, keeping a firm grip on his arm as they moved.   
  
“We have arrived at the Net port,” Qsa Linex announced unnecessarily when they reached their destination. She gave Greg a mild look through her visor, then released him. “Behave, child,” she said simply.  
  
Greg whirled on her and swung his fist. “I am not a child!”  
  
Linex didn’t respond to that. “All of you remain here,” she instructed monotonously as she raised her arms above her head.  
  
“What?” Frank stepped up beside her. “What are you doing?”  
  
Linex looked at him. “I have determined that I can move more swiftly if I move on my own,” she stated. “I will transfer myself through the Internet to a neighboring System. From there, hopefully I will be able to scan Systems that are farther away. If I do not find Anna Code’s PID, I will continue to moving to a farther System, and then a farther one, until I find her.”  
  
Frank considered for a moment. “Alright, just… return as soon as you can.” He figured it was worth a try, even if he didn’t yet know the full extent of this program or her capabilities. He would ask her later; right now, time was of the essence. Hannah could be anywhere, and she could be in trouble.  
  
Qsa Linex spread her wings and began to rise off the ground. “I will return as swiftly as I can,” she said, and then her form changed into a brilliant white light like pure energy. She then vanished through the Internet Port.  
  
“I’m hungry,” Greg said.  
  
“You’re going to have to wait,” Frank sighed. A few curious binomes and a sprite or two cast curious glances in their direction as they passed, but for the most part they stayed away.  
  
“We’re stuck in your stupid computer! How long will be until we can eat?” Greg demanded.  
  
Frank’s mouth twisted in annoyance. He had enough on his mind when it came to finding his lost niece and hoping to God that she was okay, plus trying to learn his way around this environment. Now he had to deal with Greg, too. “When was the last time you ate?”  
  
Greg thought about it. “Uh… breakfast, I think?”  
  
“From yesterday morning?!” Frank looked outraged. “What have I told you about spending all your time playing games?”  
  
George looked awkward and uncomfortable at the mention of games, but said nothing.  
  
“What are your parents going to say if you die from malnutrition while you’re at my house? That’s it,” Frank stated firmly, “when we get back home, your computer and your Xbox are going into the closet.”  
  
“But Uncle Frank--!”  
  
“No arguments!”  
  
“BUT UNCLE FRANK--”  
  
“If I may interrupt,” George spoke up loudly enough to be heard, “I will order all of us some food if it will cease this arguing.” He folded his arms. In truth, he was quite anxious about the potential outcome of the search for his wife. Having something else to focus on would take his processor off of things… for the moment.  
  
“Got any hamburgers?” Greg perked up.  
  
“I’ll… see what I can do,” was all George said. He turned away and called up a VidWindow to one of the local restaurants.  
  
The two Users faced each other again. “You can’t take away my computer and Xbox!” Greg insisted. “They’re my life!”  
  
“That’s the problem!” Frank snapped. “You like that stuff so much, maybe you should stay here inside this computer!”  
  
“No! No, no, no! I want to go home!”  
  
“Then be quiet and do what you’re told!”  
  
George finished ordering a round of energy drinks to be delivered to their location, and the drinks arrived just as Linex returned through the Net connection. George paid his tab and the delivery boy scurried away, as if frightened out of his wits.  
  
Qsa Linex descended upon the ground and folded her silk-like, crystalline wings against her back. Her stance was hardly menacing, but she looked perfectly capable of many things if she chose to.  
  
“Well?” Frank asked her, holding his energy drink forgotten in his hand.   
  
Greg took a hearty sip through his straw, then his eyes widened. “Whoa!” he exclaimed, clutching his throat.  
  
“Don’t drink it too quickly if you’re not used to it, kid,” George advised. He had no idea what effects Net-beverages would have on a User, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He didn’t want to see anyone barf their digits.  
  
Qsa Linex bowed her head slightly and her shoulders slumped. “It appears that my abilities have… limitations,” she said. “I am able to come and go from this system as I please, and to enter other systems, but…”  
  
“But what?” Frank demanded, suddenly certain that he was going to hear a complication.  
  
“When I enter another system, I face restrictions,” Linex said. “In this system,” she extended her upper arms toward the sky, indicating the place around her, “I feel… like I have access to nearly everything. I can see everything, and I can see what is inside other systems to an extent… although some systems have blocks, if they are better protected.”  
  
Frank nodded. That made sense; some computers had better security than others. “So have you encountered a difficulty in your search for Anna?” he asked. Part of him was still amazed at how comfortable he was here, speaking to programs. Then again, he’d always felt right at home when it came to programming and dealing with computers.  
  
“My roots are here,” Linex explained. “I am more a part of the Conversion Hardware and this system than I believed; I cannot truly leave here. And I cannot scan other systems fully without forcefully removing myself from this System and integrating myself into another.”  
  
“So you’re bound to this system, upon your creation?” George asked.  
  
“It would seem so,” Linex said.  
  
“Any attempt to remove yourself might cause a system corruption if you exist at the level of an administrative program,” Frank said. “Plus there’s no telling what would happen to you if you tried it. You’re a complex program and you might end up fragmented or losing part of yourself. You might even damage another system if you tried it.”  
  
“You are wise, Frank-User. I have considered this myself,” Linex acknowledged with a respectful tip of her head. “Either way, I fear that I cannot help you as much as I would have imagined. Perhaps… I have overestimated my abilities.”  
  
“Or,” Frank corrected, “you’re still learning about them.” From his experience, it was up to the User to learn about programs and how they worked, especially new and experimental ones. But in this case… it would be different, since some of the programs were obviously self-aware. It would be a matter of helping Linex discover herself, too.   
  
He folded his arms. “Tell me more about yourself,” he requested.  
  
“Good golly this is boring,” Greg grumbled. “Are we going to find Hannah soon, or not?”  
  
Frank glared at his nephew. “For the last time, be quiet!” he snipped. “It’s your own fault for being in here because you stuck your nose into something you shouldn’t have. Sit down and drink your shake.”  
  
“But there aren’t any chairs here! And this shake tastes funny!”  
  
“You will drink it and be grateful. I’m sure there are millions of starving programs out there somewhere who’d love to have it. If you don’t want to drink it, fine; just be quiet!”   
  
Greg sulked.  
  
“Now…” Frank rubbed his temples, feeling a cloak of weariness settle over him, “tell me about yourself.” He took a small sip from his energy shake. It was… different, but he could feel an improvement inside of him. It was almost like drinking very strong coffee, except the effects were as nourishing as they were energizing.  
  
Over the next few microseconds, Frank learned all that he could about Qsa Linex’s format and function. In the end, the best that he could deduce was that she was indeed an Administrative program, designed to regulate between Cyberspace and Physical Reality. Linex seemed confused, or at least uncertain, about some things… but she had a better understanding of how things worked outside the Net than anyone else in the system seemed to.  
  
A limited knowledge of human beings and their social structure seemed to be integrated into her program, although it seemed to be taking her some time to finish initializing and processing everything. Obviously she was a very sophisticated program, one that was still settling in and finding herself.  
  
“This is all very interesting,” George cut in after a while, “but what about my wife and your niece? How are we going to find them?”  
  
“Yeah, and when I can go home?” Greg demanded. He had finished off his energy drink and even George’s, since George just wanted to keep the kid quiet.  
  
Frank ignored his nephew. He realized that he had wasted precious time speaking with Qsa Linex in this manner, but he firmly believed that the first step to solving a problem was finding out as much as you could about the environment that surrounded the problem. The more he learned, the more he was capable of doing.  
  
“I don’t know,” Frank finally whispered. Apparently their supposed journey of exploration had come to a complete halt.  
  
George sighed. “Maybe we should go back to the Principal Office,” he suggested.  
  
Frank considered, and nodded.   
  
“Oh come on!” Greg protested. “Let Hannah find her own way back. I just want to--”  
  
“Come, young User.” Qsa Linex matter-of-factly picked up the boy and held him securely in her arms, ignoring his protests.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When they returned to the Principal Office, George escorted the others back to the main control room… where Zettabyte turned to look at them with some surprise.  
  
“You return?” she tilted her golden head to one side. “That was quick… were you unsuccessful?”  
  
“Well,” Frank sighed, “it would seem so. Linex can only scan from this system, and she can’t leave this system or scan from others without uprooting herself and integrating into another system… which may prove disastrous.”  
  
Zettabyte nodded with a sigh. “Well,” she said, “there is… another possibility.”   
  
Qsa Linex matter-of-factly sat Greg down into the same chair he’d occupied before. The kid flipped her the bird once her back was turned.   
  
Frank chose to ignore that, even though he saw it. If he chose to get after Greg for every little shenanigans, he would never get anything done. “What is it?” he asked the Command Dot Com.  
  
“It is simply a very slim possibility,” Zettabyte clarified carefully, as if not wanting anyone to get their hopes up.  
  
“Slim is better than none,” George stated, stepping up to her. “What’s your idea?” He kept his expression neutral, but his eyes betrayed his desperate hope.  
  
Zettabyte tapped her chin in thought. “If I know our dear Anna,” she said, “she might try contacting the Prime Guardian at some point, especially if she runs into complications.”  
  
George’s forehead crinkled. “I doubt that,” he said. “I mean, Anna has always preferred to take care of problems on her own, without involving others. Especially if…” He lowered his gaze. “They are extremely personal problems.”  
  
“I know,” Zettabyte nodded. “That’s why I said that this is a long shot. But suppose she did find Starwell, but she is trapped in another System? Or she ran into some kind of problem?”  
  
“What are you getting at?” George wanted to know.  
  
“She might contact the Prime Guardian for assistance,” Zettabyte shrugged. “It may simply be worth trying to contact him to see if she has spoken to him at all.”  
  
“Hey,” Frank spoke up, “are you sure Anna hasn’t tried to contact you, or anyone in this system?”  
  
“There has been no communication from outside the Net.” Zettabyte peered at the User. “However,” she went on after a moment of thought, “the security in this System is tighter and more advanced than most systems out there… it has been that way for at least dozens of hours.”  
  
Frank nodded. “Yeah, I upgraded the system when I began working on the Conversion Device,” he said. “I wanted to make sure no one from the outside could slip in. The device is… top secret, back in my world.”  
  
“Then you must have had some inkling that we exist,” George put in.  
  
Zettabyte shook her head. “No, I believe what Frank means is that he is protecting it from other Users.”  
  
George opened his mouth, and closed it. “By the Code,” he breathed. Obviously the thought of a User who wasn’t as good-natured as these Users frightened him.  
  
Frank gave a curt nod. “Exactly.”  
  
“We can discuss the implications of this technology and other Users later,” Zettabyte said. “The point remains that I should contact Turbo and see if he has heard anything. But,” she held up a finger, “I will do so alone. I would rather the Guardians did not know about the presence of more Users for the moment.”  
  
Frank nodded. “That… might be a good idea.” He jerked a thumb toward the door. ‘Come on, Greg. You too, Qsa.”  
  
George remained in the room as the others left. “I’m staying,” he told Zettabyte. “I won’t interrupt… I’ll even stand out of sight if you want. But I want to be here for this.”  
  
Zettabyte simply nodded, and then she tapped a series of keys. “Establishing Net-communication with the Supercomputer,” she said. Anyone who had a fully trained Guardian in their system knew the location and address of the Supercomputer.


	68. Chapter 68

After a few moments, a face filled the screen, one that wasn’t Turbo but another Guardian. “This is Guardian 259,” the female sprite on the screen said. She had short white hair and she wore the standard uniform of an official Guardian. Her arm did not bear the presence of a Keytool, but that didn’t mean anything; very few Guardians were chosen by the Keytools. “You have contacted the Guardian offices within the Supercomputer. State your business.”  
  
“The Guardian of our system has vanished,” Zettabyte spoke in her own formal tone, “and I would like to speak with the Prime Guardian about this.”  
  
The woman on the screen glanced up from her work. She appeared to be multitasking, paying only a portion of her attention on the caller, but now she gave her full attention to Zettabyte. “Vanished? What do you mean?”  
  
“Ah… due to extenuating circumstances, Anna Code--Guardian 752--fled from our System in pursuit of… a program she considered a threat,” Zettabyte answered, choosing her words very carefully. Until the wayward User girl was found and returned to her Uncle, Zettabyte wanted to keep things as vague as possible.  
  
After all, there was no telling how the Guardians would react to the news of Users in the Net, and if they chose to interfere… well, Zettabyte did not want to anger her System’s Prime User. Especially one with obvious skill and capability, in terms of hardware and software.  
  
Besides… she assumed that she wanted Anna back just as much as Frank wanted his niece back.  
  
The Guardian on the screen looked intrigued. “I heard something about this,” she stated thoughtfully. “Guardians 452 and 752 contacted the Prime Guardian seconds ago. Something about…” Her eyes narrowed into slits. “A User.”  
  
Zettabyte maintained her composure, though her digits pressed into her palms at her sides, blocked from view by the terminal she stood at. A short distance from her, George still said nothing, though he did fold his arms.  
  
“Do you know anything about this?” the Guardian on the screen pressed after a moment of silence.  
  
“Perhaps not as much as Anna knows,” Zettabyte said carefully. “You say that she has contacted the Prime Guardian?”  
  
“Yes, she did.”  
  
“And?”  
  
The Guardian sighed. “I don’t know the specifics of what they talked about. All I know is that the Council has been keeping it under wraps, and everything is… very, very hush-hush.” She rested against one elbow, allowing her formality to slip a bit. “Whatever’s going on, it’s caused quite a stir in the Supercomputer. Rumors are flying around like a fragmented file, and I don’t know what to think or what to believe anymore.”  
  
“It sounds… chaotic,” Zettabyte blinked.  
  
“Yeah but… apparently Turbo’s trying to keep it under wraps, for now..” The Guardian leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap. “I’m starting to think there is a User somewhere in the Net… at least everybody thinks there is. I haven’t seen the Council this torn apart over anything since the Daemon infection started to get out of control… who am I kidding? This is actually worse.”  
  
“I am sorry to hear that,” Zettabyte said, offering no information whatsoever. “But please tell me… do you know which system Anna Code was in, when she contacted Turbo?”  
  
“Not off-hand, but I suppose I could check.”   
  
“I would be most gratified if you could do so. We are very worried about our Guardian, and we want to see her safe return.”  
  
“Alright.” The Guardian stood and moved off-screen. There were sounds like someone sorting through some data chips, and then the muted sounds of a quiet conversation taking place at another terminal.   
  
Finally, after a few milliseconds, the Guardian returned and sat down heavily in her seat. “Apparently your Guardian was last seen in a closed-off System known as Mainframe.”  
  
For the first time, George spoke. “I’m going there.” He unfolded his arms and stepped forward. “I’m her husband; I’m going to bring her back.”  
  
“Very well…” The Guardian held up a cautionary hand. “But do nothing to disturb the peace there. From what I understand, Turbo has not quarantined that system, but he would prefer it if no one went there without need.” She eyed George with a meaningful glance. “I shouldn’t be doing this,” she said softly, “but I’d say you have sufficient need. Go and see if your wife is alright.”  
  
“Thank you,” George said, tipping his head in a gesture of gratitude.  
  
“Okay, here is the IP Address…” The Guardian listed a collection of numbers and dots. Once she was certain Zettabyte and George had received it she said, “You did not hear this from me.” With that, the communication cut out.  
  
George and Zettabyte exchanged glances. “I’ll check and see where Mainframe is,” Zettabyte said, her hands already flying over a terminal.  
  
“I’ll go get our Users, so we can tell them the news,” George muttered, and walked toward the door. Most likely they were waiting just outside.  
  
“I have found it,” Zettabyte said out loud as George came back in with Frank, Greg and Qsa Linex. “Mainframe is located halfway across the Net from here.”  
  
“Is it possible to travel there?” Frank asked.  
  
“Hey, does this mean we might find Hannah soon? And we can go home?” Greg asked.  
  
“Hopefully so,” Zettabyte said with a nod toward Greg. “Frank, you will need to use a Net Port to get there.”  
  
“Well, at least we know where we’re going now,” Frank commented.  
  
“Then you should go,” Linex spoke up. She had been silently leaning against the wall up until this point; now she approached the “Prime User”, as she had referred to him once already. “I will remain in this System and monitor any activity, particularly in regards to the Conversion Device.”  
  
Frank’s heart (or whatever the sprite-form equivalent was) skipped a beat at that thought. Thanks to his own foolhardiness when Greg came banging on the door, well… the door to his office was unlocked and probably still open ajar. Well… as long as Marge stayed asleep and no one else came into the house, it should be alright.  
  
That was one advantage of Net Time being so different from Real World Time; he probably would be back home before anyone knew it.  
  
“You do that,” Frank said with a nod. He lifted his hand, as if to give the Insectoid a friendly pat on the shoulder… but thought better of it. She might be a ally, but he wasn’t about to get all-out chummy and touch something that was basically an alien.  
  
“Then there’s no time to waste,” George spoke up. “I’m still coming with you. If there’s anyone who can convince Anna to come home… it’s me.” His expression faltered somewhat, suggesting that even he wasn’t sure if he would be successful in that area.  
  
“Very well,” Zettabyte said with a nod. She understood that this was the only course of action any of them could take. “Be careful,” she said as she stepped toward George.  
  
George gave s strained chuckle and held up a hand. “Eh, we already exchanged heart-felt goodbyes, let’s not do that again.” But he did place a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be back, Mom,” he told her softly. “With Anna. I promise.”  
  
Zettabyte’s older eyes lit up with affection. “Good luck, my Son.”  
  
“Wait a minute, what about me?” Greg’s slightly whiny voice demanded, ruining the moment. “Nobody ever seems to think about me in all of this!”  
  
“Oh, I already decided,” Frank told him with exaggerated cheerfulness. “You’re coming with me and George to Mainframe.”  
  
“So I’m going out on the internet after all?” Greg sighed. “First we are, then we aren’t, then we are… let’s just find Hannah already so we can go home!”  
  
“Which is exactly what we’re going to do now,’ Frank stated as he grabbed Greg’s hand and pulled him along. In truth, he had considered just leaving the kid in this System, but he’d decided against it. He had no doubt that Qsa Linex would baby-sit him if asked, but she had enough responsibilities.   
  
Not to mention Frank had already lost track of one teenager who was supposed to be under his care. He wasn’t about to let anything happen to Greg by leaving him behind. With Frank’s luck, Greg would do something completely stupid while he was gone.  
  
“May you find what you seek and return safely, Prime User Frank,” Qsa Linex said with a wave.  
  
“Thanks,” Frank muttered. “Stay sharp, bye for now.” With that, Frank, Greg and George headed out the door.  
  
“You don’t have to hold my hand!” Greg complained at one point. “I’m not a little kid!”  
  
“Then stop acting like one.”  
  
“I don’t act like one!”  
  
“Greg, ever since we got here, all you’ve done is complain about everything and interrupt me when I’m trying to find your sister.”  
  
“I… just want to go home.”  
  
“Your sister does too, Gregory. Just remember, the only reason either of you are in here is because you didn’t follow instructions, and you were both too damn curious for your own good.” The words came out of Frank’s mouth harshly, and even he knew, deep down, that that wasn’t entirely true. The kids were in this mess because of him, too. Because he’d been careless. But still, he felt that the point needed to be driven home.  
  
Greg scowled, but he did fall silent.  
  
George walked along behind the two Users as they moved through the Principal’s Office. He didn’t know anything about User children, but they seemed quite similar to children in his own world. As the old saying goes, “kids will be kids”.   
  
I wonder if Anna wants to come home, too, George found himself thinking as they neared the exit. Once they left the Principal Office, it would be long before they reached the Net Port. I miss her so much… no matter what she’s done, I just want to see her safe. I want her to come home. The rest… we can deal with later.  
  
Net travel could occur quite rapidly if one had a speedy internet connection, and had access to an upgraded Search Engine. Apparently Anna Code had departed the System with Dana Line, someone who was adequate at her job; the only other remaining Search Engine within the System was Christina Codec.   
  
Christina was mildly shy and somewhat aloof, especially in the presence of Users, but she took her function seriously enough to transport George, Greg and Frank out of the system in her flying vessel. Supposedly the Backup, as she called it, was top-of-the-line and it could stream through the Cyberspace “Highway” with limited lag and advanced speed. Of course, it also depended on how heavy the traffic was throughout the connection routes and what was going on out there.  
  
“There are some seconds where I prefer to stay home and avoid Net Travel altogether,” Christina Codec remarked, looking directly as George as they all seated themselves. She did not seem to outright dislike the Users, but she did seem uncomfortable in their presence. Apparently it was more comfortable for her to speak to George and act as if the others weren’t present.  
  
If this had been a normal situation back in his own world, Frank would have been offended. Here though… he simply sat there next to his Nephew with his hands folded on his lap.  
  
“Yeah… I heard it could be rough out there,” George muttered off-handedly as he strapped himself in.   
  
“Hang on,” Christina said as she powered up the engines. “This may get a little intense.”  
  
Greg’s eyes flew wide as reality itself seemed to distort as the ship pressed itself into a compressed state to stream through a Net port. He screamed as the windows were filled with a strange bright light outside; a warping effect as they zipped through some twists and turns.  
  
George, and even Frank, at least had the good sense to look away from the forward window when they reached the peak of their travel. Greg, however, did not.  
  
The boy lurched forward and began to gag; the next thing he knew, his stomach had emptied its contents of the two energy shakes he had consumed. Well, he hadn’t thought they tasted all that good anyway…  
  
A short time later they arrived at their destination. Once they were safely docked at one of the ports within Mainframe, just outside the city, Christina shut down her engines and unceremoniously shooed everyone else out.  
  
“Get going, do whatever you need to do,” she told them in annoyance. “I have a mess to clean up in the back.” The Search Engine cast a glare at Greg, who was being helped out of the ship on wobbly legs by Frank. Christina then shook her head and grabbed a mop.  
  
“What in the Net--?!” George’s eyes flew wide as he took in the sight around him. The sky overheard was an unnatural, deathly black and the city itself looked as though a shadowed cloak had fallen over it. Upon closer examination it appeared that the buildings, even the pavement beneath his feet, was covered in… something.  
  
“Oh no…” George lifted one foot and examined the sole of his shoe. Nothing stuck to the bottom of it. Nonetheless, he felt unclean just standing in this System somehow.  
  
“What happened to this place?” Frank wondered aloud, craning his neck as he examined the sky and eyed every building structure, and everything else he could see from where he stood.  
  
George looked sharply at the adult User. “Isn’t it obvious? This System is corrupted! Possibly a virus or… or something else.” He turned away from Frank, facing the city again. “If Anna is here… I’ve got to find her!”  
  
“George--wait!” Frank shouted, but the sprite was already running. There was no stopping a man who wanted to find the woman he loved deeply, even in the realm of sprites and binomes.  
  
“Uncle Frank, this place is freaky!” Greg exclaimed. The disturbing appearance of their new surroundings seemed to make the boy forget the sickness the Net Travel had caused. “I wanna get out of here!” He tore his arm free of Frank’s grasp and ran back to the ship--only to run face-first into the door as it finished shutting.  
  
Evidently, Christina Codec didn’t want anyone coming back into her ship at the moment. Or was it that she knew something they didn’t…?  
  
“Greg, get a-hold of yourself!” Frank said sternly. “We need to stay calm and--”  
  
A loud snarl sounded, as if coming from the air itself. Creatures began to crawl out of the nearest buildings, even out of the sewer, and these creatures came toward them. They didn’t look normal; they looked diseased and they growled like feral animals.  
  
Greg pressed himself flat against the ship’s hull and stared. His face went as white as sheet and his eyes widened like saucers. “OH MY GOD! IT’S THE ZOMBIE APOCALPSE!” He screamed like a little girl.  
  
“Greg!” Frank wanted to say something, anything, but he found himself flustered and stuttering over his own tongue. Part of him wished that Qsa Linex had been able to come along; she would have been able to assist them.  
  
The Infected binomes were coming closer. Frank growled as he grabbed his nephew roughly by the arm and pulled him away from the ship. “Run, boy!” he yelled in a tone of voice that allowed no argument. “RUN! MOVE!”   
  
The incredible sternness in Franks voice seemed to jolt Greg out of his frozen state; the boy yelped and began to run faster than he’d even run before. Apparently adrenaline, or whatever the Net equivalent was, had kicked in.  
  
A few binomes ran after Greg, but Frank managed to keep most of their focus on him. “Come get me, you bastards!” he yelled, running in the opposite direction.  
  
He could only hope that he could lose them… and that Greg would be able to hide somewhere until he could deal with this problem. He could only hope that both of the kids would be alright, assuming that Hannah was here somewhere…


	69. Chapter 69

A VidWindow appeared before Bob. It was Dot, alarm written all over her features.  
  
"Bob, we're having problems all over Mainframe! I've lost contact with several sectors, and we're having reports of a massive viral infection!"  
  
"But that can't be," Bob said, "We just took care of Hexadecimal’s bug."  
  
"This isn't Hexadecimal, its-" the VidWindow's screen dissolved, cutting off Dot's sentence and communication. Then it twisted, the window's square shape changing into an unbalanced, rotten looking version. Someone else was on the screen.  
  
"Hello Bob, I hope you liked my sister's trick. If so, you are going to love mine."  
  
"Megabyte!" The Guardian’s eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up. In the next instant, his forehead creased and he gritted his teeth.  
  
Starwell's eyes flew wide when she recognized the ugly, metallic face that filled the VidWindow. She gave a little scream.  
  
Gizmo gave its own exclamation, beeping and whirring on the nearby table. It seemed to be throwing another fit.   
  
The User-sprite looked toward Phong and then looked at Bob with widened eyes. Somehow something felt different inside of her, she could feel it deep in her gut. Gizmo's reaction to everything just confirmed this fact... even if she didn't have the results of the scan yet.  
  
Gizmo was a unique Keytool. It had a certain amount of... intuition.  
  
"What's happening?" Starwell said fearfully. She then looked directly at Gizmo. "What's he doing? What does he want?"  
  
Gizmo clicked and whirred. Starwell squeezed her eyes shut. "...Go," she whispered. It pained her.  
  
Gizmo made a noise that she understand perfectly; it made sadness well up inside her. Gizmo didn't want to leave her. It went against everything that the Keytool stood for to leave her. It's function was to assist her; that was the reason it was created.  
  
It wanted to stay with her, to help her get back home. That was what she wanted most. Instead... they both agreed that it had to go. Because things were getting very, very bad out there, and they couldn't risk Gizmo's unique abilities being used for malicious purposes.  
  
There was a bright flash of light... and Gizmo was gone. It had vanished completely from Mainframe.  
  
Starwell curled up on her side and began to cry quietly.  
  
The VidWindow closed. Bob jolted for the door, and as it slide open, he was greeted with a horrifying sight.  
  
A binome, CPU from the helmet and what little was recognizable, stood. Its glove like hands now clawed digits, its eye was red on green when it should have been white, its bitmap blue. Bob could recognize a Megabyte infected binome, but this... This had been changed. The normally sleek boxes that made up its body looked decayed and sponge like, and silvery wire like appendages, similar to Megabyte's infectious tendrils, connected from and into its skin. The speaker like mouth normal for all format "1" binomes was gone, replaced with something Bob had only seen on Web Creatures.  
  
The changed binome snarled at Bob, before it clawed itself away like an animal. Bob stood, breathing and trying to process what he'd just seen, or worse, what it just implied.  
  
Starwell gritted her teeth, pulling herself together as best she could. Gizmo had left and she was terrified, but she couldn't let it get to her. If she had let everything get to her while she was in the first Game, infected with Lycanthropy, she might not be here now. She could fight this, too... right?  
  
She pushed herself off the bed; Phong had apparently abandoned the scanner and gone somewhere else. She couldn't blame him. She moved forward stiffly, pressing her fingers against her forehead. She could feel a headache coming on.  
  
"Bob," she said as she neared the Guardian, "what's happening?"  
  
"I-I don't know," Bob admitted, he looked back at Starwell, concern in his eyes, "You need to stay here, keep the door locked. Don't leave, please."  
  
Bob set out into the hall, the doors closing behind him. So many thoughts ran through his head as he ran. Concern for his friends, for Dot, for Mainframe. So many things were unsure now, and after what he just saw... What had Megabyte done?  
  
Down more corridors, nothing but his footfalls echoed, and that worried him. He found the entrance to the main office room, and entered.  
  
There wasn't a single sprite or binome inside. It seemed like everyone had just abandoned everything...  
  
Why?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell had opened her mouth in protest as Bob left, but she simply stayed silent and watched him go. She closed the door and locked it. She found herself alone in the room. Completely alone... without Gizmo or anyone else. She couldn't even ask Gizmo to scan the area, to help figure out what was going on.  
  
Had it been a mistake to send the Keytool away? No... it seemed to sense something about her that frightened it, or made it wary of her. She shouldn't go anywhere or do anything, at least not yet.  
  
She sank down on the edge of the medical bed, her thoughts racing. What should she do? Should she stay and wait, or should she try doing something?  
  
"I wanna see what's going on out there," she murmured to herself, and rose. It wouldn't hurt anything if she just took a peek outside, or went down the hall a little... right? What harm could it do, as long as she came right back?  
  
She walked over to the door and unlocked it. She opened it and stared down the long hallway for a moment, making certain it appeared empty. Then she tentatively stepped out and began to move slowly down the hall. She ended up rounding a corner... and then another. Nothing seemed to be amiss. Had everybody left? If so... why?  
  
She rounded one more corner... and then wished she hadn't. She came face to face with an infected binome; a spherical-shaped being infested with spiky claws and porous, sponge-like skin. It turned and looked right at her.  
  
She gave a little scream and backed away from it. The binome snarled before darting away.  
  
But it wasn't over... Something else came into view. This was once a sprite, but its bitmap had been drastically changed. Clawed fingers, red eyes, fanged mouth, and the beastly way it walked. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst of it was that there was still some recognizable parts, the curve of a body that had once been female, the bits of skin that were not blue rot but were green, and the sick sensation that this had once been the Command Dot Com.  
  
The thing that had been Dot growled, and moved closer to Starwell...  
  
"H-h-hey whoa now..." Starwell hastily backed away, not sure what to do. She didn't know Dot very well but she did know she was Matrix's sister. And wasn't she supposed to be running the System, or managing it?  
  
She shrieked when the deformed sprite made a grab toward her. Starwell was beginning to feel like she was in some kind of horror movie involving zombies... or in another game.  
  
"Stay away from me, please!" Starwell turned and began to run down the corridor, back toward the room that Bob had told her stay in.   
  
However, the deformed Dot was really fast. Starwell began to pant as she turned down one corridor and then another, hoping she was going in the right direction.  
  
When she finally reached the door to the medical room she was nearly out of breath. She opened the door and jumped inside, then pressed the button to close it.  
  
However, she wasn't fast enough. The infected Dot stuck a portion of her upper body through the door, preventing it from closing all the way. The deformed sprite snarled, forcing her shoulder through the doorway; the door opened.  
  
Starwell backed away hastily, pressing herself up against the opposite wall. Her eyes widened and her chest heaved as she panted; she was close to hyperventilating.  
  
She didn't scream for help this time. Something told her that no one would come anyway.  
  
The infected sprite lunged toward her. Starwell shrieked and moved swiftly to the side, getting out of reach just in time. Dot's arms clawed the air where the User had been a moment ago.  
  
Starwell rolled head over heels in a move she hadn't used since the first game when Matrix fired an arrow at her. She then made a dash out the door, stepped outside... and locked it.  
  
She head a banging on the other side of the door. Starwell leaned against it, taking a moment to catch her breath.  
  
"God Lord in Heaven above..." she exclaimed. She never considered herself the religious sort; Hannah was more agnostic. But if this kept up, the sprite side of her might take up praying in case it did any good.  
  
Starwell flinched when she heard another banging noise on the other side of the door. She didn't want to take any chances; she moved away from it in case the infected sprite could somehow get out.  
  
She knew that she should have just stayed in that room and kept the door locked like Bob said. But of course she had to be curious, and she had to know what was going on. That's how she got turned into a sprite in the first place; by playing around with her Uncle's computer.  
  
Starwell released a breath and headed down a hallway. She had no idea where she was going or what she should do. Part of her hoped she would find Bob or somebody who wasn't infected...  
  
Then again, what if Bob had been infected, too? She had no idea if he could fight the infection or not. She glanced down at herself thoughtfully. She had been infected, correct? So why wasn't there any sign of infection? Was it something that would take time to overcome her, like the werewolf infection back in the Game?  
  
Or was she resistant to it somehow... as a User? She had no idea. She simply figured it might be best to act quickly... whatever she was going to do.  
  
Of course, she didn't know what she was going to do. That was the problem.   
  
She proceeded down a few more hallways and corridors, and somehow even ended up on a different level when she was avoiding a couple of snarling binomes. Somehow or other, she ended up just outside of what appeared to be a... cell, with a single occupant within.  
  
Her blood (or energy, or whatever her sprite form had) froze when she realized who was in there. She had apparently stumbled across Anna Code.  
  
Starwell began to back away, intent on leaving... but then the Rogue Guardian spotted her. Those dark, hate-filled eyes locked onto her Bitmap, and if looks could have killed they certainly would have.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The first thing that came to Anna Code's mind when she awoke was one simple thought. She was sick and tired of waking up in awkward positions with a splitting headache. In this case her entire body ached. No doubt this was yet another result of her being reckless and letting down her guard.   
  
If her instructor from the Academy could have seen her over the past several seconds, he probably would have been ashamed of her. Then again, he would have questioned her decisions and given her a stern lecture about her choices.  
  
Did she feel regret for everything she had done? In truth... no. What was done was done and she was trying to deal with a threat as she saw threat. She pushed herself up off the floor... and stiffened. Something just didn't feel right. She could also smell a viral infection in the very air, it seemed so strong.  
  
For the first time since she'd arrived in Mainframe, she felt a different feeling seeping into her chest. She honestly began to wonder... what if she did not return to System Watson, for one reason or another?  
  
What would become George, and Zettabyte? Everyone else she knew and cared about? She thought briefly of Zettabyte's kind, motherly advice. She thought of the last time George had taken her into his arms, holding her tight...  
  
She shook. She almost wished she could feel his strong arms around her one last time, hear his soothing voice... she wished she could feel his fingers running through her hair once more...  
  
Had she truly taken those things for granted when she left her System in pursuit of the User? She did. She didn't even say goodbye to anyone; she hadn't even left a message for any of them. She'd simply left. She pressed her palms flat against the cell wall and rested her forehead against it. She squeezed her eyes shut.  
  
"George..." she whispered. "I'm... I'm so sorry. For everything."   
  
She pushed herself away from the wall. Her teeth clenched and her digits dug sharply into her palms. "I love you," she murmured. "I hope... you can forgive me." One way or another she had to deal with this... to end this. Even if it meant her deletion... or erasure.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As Bob investigated the command center, he felt as if something were watching him. He kept glancing behind him, or looking into corners, but he couldn't shake the feeling.  
  
Something grabbed his ankle. Bob's instincts kicked in and he stomped on the thing. It cried out, and Bob blinked.  
  
"Blimey! You pack quite a leg there!"   
  
Bob took a step back. He had been passing by the short stairs to a lower part of the command center, and he hadn't noticed the sprite that had been sitting down and laying against them. And it was no wonder, the sprite had looked like he was part Web Creature, and the dark disguised him well.  
  
"Ray? I didn't see you there," Bob held his hand out, and Ray Tracer grasped it, and pulled himself to the second level of the Center floor, "Why are you in Web format?"  
  
"To answer that, I don't really know." Ray steadied himself, but leaned against a control panel, "Last thing I remember was everybody panicking, and then feeling this incredible pain, then nothing. Next thing I know, I'm trying to grab something to pull me self up, and you stomping on my hand."  
  
"Sorry about that."  
  
"Where is everyone?"  
  
"That's what I wanted to ask you, Megabyte cut Dot off on a VidWindow, and changed it somehow."  
  
Ray’s brow furrowed. "That's just lovely, isn't it."  
  
"You could say that again."


	70. Chapter 70

Anna Code did not cry. She had not cried since the day her parents, her best friend and her home had been nullified in a game. A game that this User who stood in front of her had admitted to playing. She had been a child back then, a young sprite who had not yet experienced the pain of loss.  
  
The only other time she'd cried was when she had lost her sister to a Viral Infection in her home system.  
  
Anna Code was fully aware that this could be it. The entire System might crash due to whatever Megabyte was doing. She had been a fool to trust him, to agree to work with him.   
  
"What are you doing, User?" she snapped. Anna had seen a couple of infected binomes pass by her cell several nanos ago; she was now aware of what the Infection was doing to normal programs. But the User...  
  
Wasn't she infected? Why wasn't she showing any signs of infection?  
  
"I..." Starwell gulped. "I'm leaving." She turned and began to dart off.  
  
"Wait!" Anna snapped, causing the girl to stop and look in her direction uncertainly. Anna moved up against the cell door and gripped the bars firmly with her hands. "Is the virus using you?" she asked in a firm voice. "Does he... control you?"  
  
"No... I don't think so," Starwell answered tentatively, licking her lips. "I feel a little strange, but.. I haven't changed and nothing else has happened."  
  
Anna drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her processor was racing with this information, and what it implied. "...Alright," the Rogue Guardian breathed. "Look, kid," she grated, "we both know that I hate you with every digit of my bitmap. If I could have deleted you by now, I would have. But--"  
  
Starwell cut her off. "This is all your fault!" she shouted, clenching her fists at her sides. She was angry, she felt helpless, and the Rogue Guardian couldn't exactly hurt her at the moment, not from inside that cell. This made her forget her fear and guilt enough to march up to the cell door and glare directly into Anna's face.  
  
"I heard everything!" the User-sprite snapped. "You agreed to work with Megabyte to get to me! And look what happened!"  
  
Anna closed her eyes momentarily. Her fingers gripped the cell bars so hard it made her hands hurt. "After everything you have done to me," she grated through gritted teeth, "I believed you were a greater threat than any virus. I thought he might destroy you, or at least help me get to you."  
  
The Guardian forced herself away from the cell door, taking a step back. "My... judgment is impaired," she admitted. The words were strained, as though all of her teeth were being pulled out. "I have wanted nothing more than to see you end, User," she went on darkly. Her eyes took on a strange, unfocused quality, as if she were looking at something only she could see.  
  
"Yet this system protects you," Anna whispered dully. "These foolish sprites... these idiotic virus-loving sprites... they'll accept a User. They'll protect a User. I thought..."  
  
"You thought what?" Starwell pressed when the Guardian trailed off. "WHAT did you think?!"  
  
Anna growled. "I thought this would get them to wake up!" she thundered, advancing toward the cell door again. Starwell squeaked in startlement in stepped back, even though the Guardian couldn't get her from the cell. "They need to wake up and realize that when you keep viruses around like caged pets, they are going to create chaos once they break free. Because they will break free. And a User..."  
  
"Do you think I'm really bad, like a virus?" Starwell asked. "I'm not a Virus!"  
  
"No! You're ten times worse!"  
  
"Why? Because I nullified people in games? Well I'm sorry, but I didn't know what happens when a game enters a system!"  
  
"That is no excuse!"  
  
"What about what you're doing?" Starwell snapped. "Look at what you did! You let Megabyte infect the system when you should have been stopping him! You activated a different virus and a system bug!"  
  
"Anything to get rid of you, User."  
  
"Well, I'm still here." Starwell folded her arms. "And like it or not, you're not getting rid of me. The only way you can get me out of the Net is to let me go home, and first we gotta fix this mess!"  
  
Anna was silent for a long moment. Everything in her Guardian Code screamed at her to agree with the young User's words, as much as she hated her. Anna had become a Guardian to mend and defend her home System, not to help spark chaos in another.  
  
But the burning anger and hatred that existed within her... it had been there for so long it would not be silenced. Not by logic, not by duty. Not by her own Guardian code. Perhaps it was just as well that Cappaten had left her. There were probably many other Guardians who would make a more suitable partner than she at this point.  
  
Speaking of Keytools....  
  
"Where is your Gizmo, User?" Anna narrowed her eyes.  
  
Starwell pressed her lips in a thin line. "Gone," she simply said.  
  
Anna didn't even press the issue. "I have hated you ever since I was younger than you," she hissed. She had no idea how quickly Users complied and became adults, or if she had truly been younger than the User, but she sensed that she had indeed been younger than Starwell was right now. "I just never realized how much until I finally met you."   
  
Starwell swallowed. "You have to let it go," she whispered. "Look what it's making you do!"  
  
Anna shook her head. "I did nothing," she stated. "This Virus that the Mainframers have allowed to run loose in the past... he would have found a way to do this no matter what I did. He... used me simply because he could. If I hadn't agreed to work with him, he would have done it without me."  
  
Anna glared at the User. "That's how Viruses operate, kid. I was too caught up in my own intentions to remember that."  
  
"Trying to get me, you mean."  
  
"Yes."  
  
A moment of silence fell between them.  
  
"Well... where does that leave us?" Starwell finally asked. "I can't help this system alone, and I don't know where Bob or anybody else is. But... I'm getting really tired of you trying to kill me every time you see me!"  
  
"You know how I feel about you, kid. Get used to it."  
  
"So that's it? I'm supposed to just leave you in there and hope you won't come kill me later?"  
  
Anna moved away from the cell door, clenching her hands into fists as she turned her back on the User for the first time.   
  
"Fine," Starwell said, taking that as an answer. "I'm leaving. You better stay away from me." She began to stamp off.  
  
"We could make an agreement... on the honor system," Anna said without turning around. Starwell stopped. "Assuming you would... hold up your end of a bargain, unlike a virus."  
  
"I am NOT a virus!" Starwell stomped back over to the cell. "What do I have to do to make you understand that? What will make you stop hating me?"  
  
"I won't stop hating you, User," Anna said, turning around to face her again. This time her face was completely stoic, except for that distant storm that was ever-present in her eyes. "Nothing you can do will stop that."  
  
"....Then what are you saying?"  
  
"A truce," Anna answered bitterly. "A compromise, of a sort." She gave a very slight shrug of one shoulder. "Call it a deal, or whatever you want. But..." Her eyes bore into the User-Sprite's with such intensity that the look made Starwell flinch. "I will hold you to your end of this agreement if you make a promise, User," she said in a deadly tone.  
  
Starwell gulped. "W-what is it?"  
  
"I will help rid this system of the virus... I did make a promise to myself, on my personal honor, to make things right if anything went wrong... even if it meant my deletion," Anna stated. "I... have lost my focus upon coming here; I intended to retrieve you and leave this System unscathed, nothing more. As much as I hate this..." She grimaced. "You and I can probably work together to make this right, somehow. My Guardian training can assist us."  
  
Starwell looked unsure. "But you hate me," she said warily. "What's gonna stop you from attacking me?" She blinked. "What am I supposed to promise?"  
  
Anna looked completely serious. "After this is over, assuming we both survive," she said, "you will agree to meet me somewhere... alone. You will not tell Bob or Matrix or anyone else about this. You will simply meet me in Ghetty Prime, or someplace where no one will find us or disturb us, and..." Her eyes narrowed into slits. "You and I shall duel. No tricks, no Keytools, just you and me. Only one of us shall return to my System."  
  
Starwell's eyes widened. "You mean you want to fight to--"  
  
"Deletion. Yes."  
  
"You’re crazy! I don't want to fight you!"  
  
"Suit yourself, User. If you don't agree to these terms, then just get out of here. I'll free myself from this cell and I will continue to hunt you to the ends of the Net!"  
  
Starwell buried her face into her hands. "You really won't let this go, will you?" A part of her mind had to admit... perhaps she could understand Anna's twisted mind in a way. How would Starwell herself feel if someone had destroyed everything she held dear, even if it was an accident or a mistake?  
  
"I won't. Either agree and give me your promise, User, and meet me someplace after this is over. Or things will continue as they are now." Anna folded her arms.  
  
Starwell squeezed her eyes shut. Well, if it meant saving the System... Still, this didn't seem fair. "I'm not even a skilled fighter like you are!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Trust me, kid. Before this is over, you'll probably pick up a few skills, or maybe you'll find something inside yourself you didn't know was there."  
  
Starwell let out a breath. "Fine," she agreed, throwing her arms into the air. She would just have to make certain Bob and Matrix didn't find out about this agreement; neither of them would be very happy about it. "I..." Starwell closed her eyes. "I promise I'll meet you after this is all over."  
  
Anna gave a curt nod. "Then for now," she stated with great reluctance, "we are allies." She jabbed an index finger in the User's direction. "But I will hold you to your word, Starwell. Whatever you may be, whatever you have done... I believe you have honor, at least."  
  
"I will keep my promise," Starwell vowed.  
  
Then the User-Sprite took a deep breath, almost like a gasp, and opened the cell door.  
  
She relaxed only slightly when Anna stepped out of the cell and didn't even try to attack her. The Rogue Guardian didn't even touch her. "Come with me, kid," Anna growled, and the two of them sprinted down the corridor.  
  
There was the sound of echoing footfalls behind them. Faint at first, but it gradually grew. The Rogue Guardian’s keen instincts and sharp hearing were the first to catch it.  
  
Starwell gave a little shriek when Anna grabbed her arm suddenly, pulling her to a stop. "Shut up!" the Rogue Guardian hissed in the girl's ear. "Listen."  
  
The User-sprite tensed, pressing her lips into a thin line and listening. Both of them could hear the low growls and the footfalls approaching.  
  
"What do we do?" Starwell asked.  
  
"Come on." Anna began to run, dragging the User along with her. They proceeded down the hallway and made a sharp turn around a corner... only to find more infected binomes coming straight toward them.  
  
With binomes ahead of them, and more coming from behind... they were trapped.  
  
Starwell's eyes flew wide. "What are we going to do?" she all but whimpered.  
  
"Grow a fragging spine, kid." Anna moved into a defensive position. "Access some spunk and stay with me."  
  
"But there's so many of them!"  
  
Anna sighed and quickly surveyed the room. Her gaze locked onto a loose wall panel nearby on an area that had been damaged. She dashed over to it and used her hands and her foot to pry it loose.  
  
"What are you doing?!" Starwell demanded. The binomes were getting closer.  
  
"Grab the other side of this, kid, and keep your head down!" Anna instructed. They each grabbed one side of the large metal panel; it was just large enough for both of them to stand behind it like a shield.  
  
Anna gave a yell and proceeded to run forward, Starwell right beside her. With the metal panel in front of them, they bowled right through the infected binomes; they were knocked around. The spherical ones rolled to the side like bowling balls while the square-shaped ones fell aside... or fell apart.  
  
Once they were past them, Anna snapped, "Let go!" which Starwell did. The Rogue Guardian then spun around, planting the makeshift shield between herself and the binomes that approached from behind. Some of the ones they'd just mowed over were recovering, picking themselves up and proceeding forward.  
  
Anna matter-of-factly threw the shield at them; it slowed some of them down. "Run!" she snapped, and she and Starwell ran side by side down the corridor.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Gizmo roamed aimlessly within a pocket of the Net that was almost extra-dimensional. It was an area that was untouchable, hidden; few programs could reach it, and Keytools were among those few.  
  
The User Keytool happened into it by chance when it was searching for a place to hide from the massive Viral Infection within Mainframe. When it entered… it found that it was not alone.  
  
There was a Guardian Keytool there… one that seemed familiar somehow.  
  
Cappaten.  
  
The Guardian Keytool detected the presence of the alien Keytool almost immediately. They greeted each other in a series of beeps and whirs, and then a conversation conversed. Normally Guardian Keytools did not respond much in the way of casual chatter, but Cappaten had been alone for some time… and it had nothing else better to do at the moment.  
  
[Gizmo, the User Keytool,] Cappaten beeped--at least that would be the approximate translation in Standard. [How do you come to be here?]  
  
Gizmo chirped in reply, [To escape from Viral Infection within the Mainframe System.]  
  
Cappaten understood perfectly. [This is the place that we fled to during the Supervirus Infection. We became inaccessible here.]  
  
[Entire systems have been infected before?]  
  
[Affirmative.]  
  
Gizmo processed this. Then it queried, [Why are you here?]  
  
[Hiding. Contemplating.]  
  
[Explain. Specify.]  
  
Cappaten made a noise, the Keytool equivalent of a sigh. [No Keytool has permanently left its Guardian. During the time when the Supervirus Infected the Net, we hid ourselves so that we could not be used as tools to further the Infection.] It paused. [The only other time we separate ourselves from a Guardian is if that Guardian ceases to exist.]  
  
[Guardian Anna Code still exists.]  
  
[Yes.]  
  
[Is she infected?]  
  
[Negative.]  
  
[Then why did you leave her?]  
  
Silence.  
  
Gizmo waited, then finally pressed the issue. [Why do you remain here? Why do you not seek out another Guardian?] It could think of at least one worthy candidate… Matrix.  
  
Cappaten seemed annoyed by the questioning. [This… has never occurred before,] it finally replied.  
  
[Clarify,] Gizmo requested.  
  
[Gizmo, no Keytool has separated from a Guardian due to a disagreement in morals or ethics, not unless a Viral Infection was involved. I have withdrawn code from my former Guardian; I am no longer connected to her.]  
  
[Explain. What happened?]  
  
[She became random. She follows a path that is most destructive, almost like a virus.]  
  
[I do not disagree. I dislike Guardian Anna Code immensely. But Cappaten, why do you remain here? Why do you not join with another Guardian?]  
  
Silence. Then, [It shows that I have erred. I exhibited poor judgment. A Keytool chooses a Guardian, and it is no light matter. I…]  
  
Gizmo whirred loudly and finished for it. [You’re ashamed.]  
  
The following silence confirmed the User Keytool’s statement.  
  
[Do you want to return to Guardian Anna Code?]  
  
Cappaten whirred, almost furious. [I have already answered that. I have erred.]  
  
Gizmo beeped. [That does not answer my question. Yes, you made a mistake. Starwell’s kind might say that… it is part of being human.] Gizmo faltered, as if it realized that that didn’t make any sense or didn’t apply here.  
  
Cappaten clicked its bafflement at that statement.  
  
Gizmo clicked, and then went on. [What do you plan to do?]  
  
Silence. [Do?] Pause. [Gizmo… I do not know. Perhaps I have faulty processing runtimes. I should have known Guardian 752, Anna Code, would do these things. I erred in selecting to join with her.]  
  
[You are afraid you will make the same mistake again.]  
  
Silence. Slight click of acknowledgement, [Affirmative.]  
  
[Does that mean you plan to stay here for eternity regretting your actions?] Gizmo shook a little. [Wasteful. However, your decision.]  
  
Cappaten beeped. [Perhaps I am faulty,] it repeated.  
  
[Or Guardian 752 is faulty. Cappaten, be useful. It is why you exist.]  
  
Silence.  
  
[Cappaten, what do you want to do?]  
  
Silence. Then, [Attempting to analyze. Why did I select Guardian 752 Anna Code to begin with?]  
  
[You wonder what you saw in her. I do not know, but you must have seen something you appreciated.] Gizmo clicked. [Perhaps you can bring that side of her forth if you try.]  
  
Cappaten screeched. [You mean… return to her? Join with her again?]  
  
[I am not telling you to do anything.]  
  
[You are making a suggestion.]  
  
[Correct. The decision is yours.]  
  
Now Cappaten turned the discussion around. [Why are you here, Gizmo?]  
  
[I already explained.]  
  
[Acknowledged: you are hiding from Viral Infection.] Pause. [Is it a Supervirus?]  
  
[Potential of Net-wide Infection is undetermined at present. However, the Virus seems especially powerful, possibly due to upgrades.]  
  
Cappaten beeped. [You are a User Keytool with unique coding. I detected this when I first scanned you in System Watson Codec, where you and Starwell first appeared. Do you truly fear infection? is Starwell Infected?]  
  
[Starwell is infected.]  
  
[Then perhaps you made the right decision.]  
  
Gizmo moaned.  
  
Cappaten regarded it for a moment, then beeped, [You regret leaving her. You want to go back.] Pause. [Why don’t you?]  
  
[Starwell and I agreed.]  
  
[Gizmo, I detect that your coding is different. You are not restrained to the same program confines that I am. You may be able to help her in ways that I could never assist any Guardian partner I have.] Pause. [Why did you leave her?]  
  
Gizmo decided to be perfectly honest. [Fear. Confusion. Uncertainty.]  
  
[Elaborate. Clarify.]  
  
Now it was Gizmo’s turn to go silent for a few moments. [I do not know,] it finally admitted. [Perhaps… I am faulty as well.]  
  
[Or you made a mistake. Or perhaps you reached a decision without considering all possible outcomes.]  
  
[You think I made a mistake?]  
  
[It is obvious that I have made a mistake. Two, precisely.]  
  
The two Keytools regarded each other in silence.  
  
[I will return to Starwell,] Gizmo finally announced. [My function is to assist her… there is no other function in my existence. I am hers. Even if it is to help her fight Infection.]  
  
Silence. Then, [I will return to Guardian 752 Anna Code.] Cappaten beeped. [Perhaps she will retain her Guardian qualities. Perhaps she will overcome her randomness.]  
  
No more communication was exchanged. The Keytools matter-of-factly let their hiding place, the unanimous decision made.


	71. Chapter 71

Bob and Ray were running down the halls.  
  
"She should be in... This room!" Bob reached to knock on the door, when it slid open. His eyes widened, and he darted into the room. "Oh no..."  
  
"I'm going to assume the little lady decided to leave on her own," said Ray as he walked in, "Better than the alternative."  
  
"I told her to stay in here..." Bob sighed. For a moment, he was reminded of Enzo when he was young, how he seemed just to get into every situation and never seemed to listen, even to Bob. Perhaps Matrix was rubbing off on her.  
  
A snarl hit the air, and startled both Ray and Bob. Ray stepped back into the hall, and stopped, "Oh bugger."  
  
"What?" Bob peered past Ray's shoulder.  
  
"Dot?"  
  
"Glitch! Restraints!" Two energy bands wrapped around the infected Dot. Bob had no will to fight her, and no understanding on how to wipe the viral infection.  
  
"Bugger," Ray muttered, "How bad is the situation when the Command Com of the system is infected?"  
  
"Bad. Very Bad."  
  
"I thought as much..."  
  
Bob have dragged half struggled with the Infected Dot, as he and Ray locked her inside the room.  
  
"We need to find the others, anyone whose left." Bob said after a few moments. For the first time in a long time, Bob felt a burning anger. It festered in his core, almost like a viral infection itself. He mumbled to himself, "I need to find Megabyte..."  
  
"I can help ya, but I need to find my board," said Ray, "It went missing along with everybody else."  
  
"Right. Lets move."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Anna and Starwell ran nearly neck and neck down the long corridor, with the Rogue Guardian taking a slight lead. "Where are we going?" Starwell demanded, getting a little breathless. She had to admit that she was mainly following Code; the User-sprite had no idea what to do or where they were headed. She just hoped the Guardian had some kind of plan.  
  
"Keep moving," was all that Anna said. They moved down a few more corridors and found themselves face-to-face with an ugly, disfigured sprite. It took Starwell a moment to realize who it was... when the fangs flashed as the entity snarled.  
  
"MOUSE!" Starwell shouted.  
  
Anna grabbed the girl so roughly that she grunted in discomfort. "In here!" Anna opened a nearby door and threw the girl inside; Starwell fell against the floor as the Guardian whirled around and sealed the door. Anna had barely turned around to look at the young sprite when a blindingly bright flash of light filled the room. Starwell buried her face against the ground, shielding her eyes with her arms.  
  
The Rogue Guardian forced herself to look into the light, holding her arm just level enough to block the worst of it from her eyes. What was that? Some kind of portal? It didn't look like any portal she'd ever seen...  
  
Then two items emerged from it, and the bright white light collapsed in on itself. The two devices were very, very familiar.  
  
"By the Net..." Anna's eyes flew wide.  
  
"Huh?" Starwell looked up, blinking. She saw spots before her eyes, a side-effect of the light. "What is..." Her eyes went wide like saucers. "Gizmo!" she breathed.  
  
"Cappaten..." Anna tentatively held out her arm. It regarded her for a moment, then attached itself to her arm; they once again exchanged code. Anna took a deep breath and closed her eyes, momentarily basking in the familiar sensation.  
  
"Thank you..." The Rogue Guardian uttered in a barely audible whisper.  
  
Gizmo went directly to Starwell without hesitation. "Wow," the User-sprite said, grinning at it. "You're back! But I thought..."  
  
Gizmo began a series of beeps and chirps, but Anna's stern voice silenced any further communication. "We don't have time for this," the Rogue Guardian stated. "We need to keep moving."  
  
"But what do we do?" Starwell asked, picking herself up off the floor.  
  
Anna pursed her lips. "See if you can use your Keytool to contact somebody. Anybody who's not infected... like Bob. I'll go out and clear the corridor."  
  
"Don't hurt Mouse," Starwell pleaded.  
  
Anna sighed. "Farthest thing from my mind, kid." She opened the door, and vanished from sight as the door closed behind her.  
  
Starwell whimpered softly, then she cleared her throat. She had to focus, for the sake of herself, and Anna, and everyone else. For Mainframe.  
  
"Gizmo," she said, holding her arm close to her face, "uh... can you get me Bob?" Please let him be okay... please let him be okay... Gizmo whirled, and the shining surface lit up as it interfaced with Glitch. Two-way communication had been established between the Keytools.  
  
"Bob!" Starwell shouted. "Are you okay?!"  
  
"Starwell? Starwell, where are you? I told you to stay put!" Bob wasn't sure which emotion program wanted to surface first. Anger? Joy? Confusion? Relief?  
  
Starwell opened her mouth and closed it. She hated being corrected; it made her feel as if everybody thought she was five years younger than she was. Oh who was she kidding? When she got home to Uncle Frank, anything Bob said would seem very, very mild in comparison...  
  
"I know," she finally said, casting a quick glance toward the door. "Uh... I don't know where I am! I think I'm somewhere in the lower levels... I guess?" She licked her lips nervously.  
  
"Oh and... uh, I'm with Anna," she added. "We're uh... working together." For now.  
  
Bob looked at her for a moment. "Be careful then. What are you going to do now?"  
  
"Um... well, where are you?" Starwell asked uncertainly. "I mean, Anna Code asked me to try and contact you. Right now she's outside the door... taking care of Mouse." Starwell gulped.  
  
"We're around the scanner room. You said Mouse? Don't tell me..."  
  
"Yeah, Mouse tried to attack us. But Anna said she wouldn't hurt her." Starwell glanced toward the door again. "She'd better not hurt her," the User-sprite growled.  
  
"Right..." Bob looked away from Glitch for a moment. He thought back. Dot said a System infection, and it had gotten here... Bob shut his eyes. He had to think of the rest. Matrix, AndrAIa, Little Enzo, Hack and Slash... They were out there somewhere. And at least Ray had survived, a little worse for wear. "Where do you plan on going?" Bob asked.  
  
The door opened before Starwell had a chance to reply. Anna stepped inside and slammed the door shut behind her. The Rogue Guardian panted and looked a little worse for wear.  
  
"What happened out there?" Starwell demanded, looking away from Gizmo.  
  
Anna sighed. "I managed to subdue Mouse, then I got ambushed by half a dozen others." She blew out a breath, and looked at her Keytool appreciatively. "If it wasn't for Cappaten, I wouldn't have gotten out of there alive without hurting anyone."  
  
"So they're okay?" Starwell asked.  
  
Anna snorted. "Don't know why you care so much, User-girl. But yes, they're fine, except for the obvious infection."  
  
"Good," Starwell breathed, ignoring the barb. "Uh, I've got Bob on the line, by the way."  
  
"Fine." Anna made an almost dismissive gesture. "Tell the Guardian we're going outside." She opened the door.  
  
"Bob," Starwell said into the Keytool's screen, "did you hear tha--what?" The User-Sprite looked sharply at the Rogue Guardian. "We're w-what?"  
  
Anna glared. "We're not doing any good in here," she stated. "Either stay or come with me, I don't care." She lowered her voice somewhat. "Either way, I will find you later, User."  
  
"Uh..." Starwell looked at Bob.  
  
"You're what?!" Bob said, "Wait a nano! Let us catch up to you, we can think of something from there!"  
  
Anna spoke up to be heard. "We don't have a lot of time to talk or play guessing games, Guardian. The entire System has gone completely random, in case you haven't noticed. If you want to find me, find me outside."  
  
The Rogue Guardian grabbed Starwell by the arm, causing the girl to yelp as she pulled her to her feet. "Come on, little girl," Anna said. "You're surely useful for something."  
  
Starwell glanced at Gizmo, then allowed Anna to pull her out the door. At least they were still in touch with Bob; that was something. "Bob, maybe you could just meet us outside?" she asked.   
  
Starwell's mind was racing. She knew it was stupid to go outside, but maybe Anna had something in mind. Besides, they had agreed to work together, right? Maybe she could help Anna with whatever she was about to do.  
  
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"...Alright."  
  
"That sounded good," said Ray.   
  
Bob shrugged half-heartedly. "We've got to met them outside. Quickly."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0  
  
Anna raced down the corridor; Starwell was barely able to keep up without being pulled off of her feet. Gizmo let out a squawk of protest, especially since it was the arm that it was attached to that was being yanked, but otherwise it did nothing. They raced through several doorways and hallways without incident, but then... just as they neared the exit, they were ambushed.  
  
"Cursors!" Anna yelled. Nearly a dozen binomes from either side had them cornered. It was as if they'd intended to ambush anyone who headed toward that exit. Then things got more complicated. Starwell's eyes widened when she recognized one of the infected programs amongst the binomes.  
  
"Oh my God... Frisket!" Starwell gulped. The infected dog snarled, baring his teeth.   
  
"Cappaten, energy shield!" Anna yelled. An energy barrier appeared around herself and Starwell. The dog snarled again, and leaped--however, Frisket was repelled by the energy barrier and went skidding a short distance away.  
  
Starwell's mind raced. She wanted to help. She wanted to do something... anything. But she didn't want to hurt anyone.  
  
Just then, a tear formed above their heads; it began to drift aimlessly down the hallway.   
  
Anna's eyes narrowed contemplatively when she spotted it. "I've got an idea," she said. "Pay attention, kid. I'm going to lower the energy shield, and the instant I do, I want you to use your Keytool to turn that," she pointed at the tear, "into a portal. Got it?"  
  
"A portal?" Starwell's eyes widened. "You mean, one of those things you people use for travel?" She had never seen one before.  
  
"Yes. Now get ready!"  
  
Both of them stood at attention. "Get ready," Anna repeated, and then she snapped, "Cappaten, lower shield."  
  
Starwell hesitated for an instant, then she barked, "Gizmo, portal!"  
  
Some kind of energy shot out from Gizmo, stabilizing the tear into a stable portal that would lead to a different location within Mainframe. They could only hope that Gizmo had chosen a good location.  
  
"JUMP!" Anna yelled, already leaping upward into the portal.  
  
"Anna, watch out!" Starwell yelled, as the infected Frisket lunged after her. Both the Rogue Guardian and the dog vanished through the portal. The User-sprite gritted her teeth and jumped into the portal after them; the binomes who tried to grab her barely missed her.  
  
"Ooof!" Starwell grunted as she fell to the ground on the other side. The portal above her head shimmered, and then winked out of existence.  
  
Anna struggled with Frisket on the ground nearby. His claws pressed into her shoulders as she grabbed his snout, trying to keep those sharp teeth away from her throat. That scene... looked oddly familiar. Matrix had been pinned down by a wolf in that first game, the one that infected him. Starwell had run away screaming that time.  
  
Not this time.  
  
"Gizmo, uh... do something!" Starwell thrust out her arm, and the Keytool performed a familiar trick; it turned into an energy rope that twisted around Frisket's mouth and legs, effectively tying him up. It was eerie how the dog looked rather wolf-like in his infected state.  
  
Starwell eyed Gizmo's current form, and shook her head slightly. "Sense of humor?" she wondered aloud, considering its method.  
  
If an electrical rope could shrug while being tied around a large dog... somehow Gizmo managed the gesture.  
  
Anna recovered and leaped to her feet, looking around.  
  
"You okay?" Starwell asked her.  
  
Anna didn't acknowledge the question. "Cappaten," she spoke to her own Keytool, "Scan sector." After a moment, the Rogue Guardian nodded. "We seem to be in a sector that is currently unoccupied."  
  
"Where's the Principal Office?" Starwell's eyes widened. "Bob said he would meet us outside!"  
  
"Bob will just have to deal with this on his own," Anna stated. "Contact him if you want--oh, right," she gestured at the dog, "your Keytool is currently busy."  
  
"You could contact him," Starwell suggested.  
  
Anna considered. "Fine," she said. Perhaps Bob would know something she didn't. This was his home turf, after all. "Cappaten, get me Guardian 452." The Keytool formed a connection with Glitch, and Bob's face appeared on it.  
  
"Well, Guardian," Anna said by way of greeting, "we're outside. In a completely different sector, thanks to a portal. You outside yet?"  
  
"We're on our way out now," Bob answered over the connection.   
  
"We had to take a detour around some trouble," Ray spoke from behind; he was not visible on the screen. "But at least I found my Board."  
  
"Fine," Anna said with a nod. "Look, Guardian, this is your system, and you've dealt with this virus before. Do you have anything useful to tell me, or not?"  
  
Bob inhaled deeply and let the breath out through his nose in sort of a sigh. "Just know that Megabyte has always wanted power, as much as he can get. He's been trying to get to the Supercomputer for as long as he's been processing."  
  
"Then could he be trying to get to the Supercomputer now?" Anna blinked.  
  
"I don't know, it's possible," Bob replied. "He's infected Mainframe to get control of it, and for a twisted sense of revenge."  
  
"Is that the exit up ahead?" Ray's voice asked.  
  
Bob looked away from his Keytool for a moment; his image vanished as he answered the Surfer. "Yeah, looks like it; let's go." The Guardian's face appeared on Anna's Keytool as he began to run. "We're almost outside. Where's Starwell?"  
  
"She's here with me," Anna said. "The girl is fine. I am going to--"  
  
A thunderous snarl sounded off, causing Anna's head to snap up. The source of the noise just about knocked the Rogue Guardian head over heels. "Oh my God--Anna!" Starwell screamed.  
  
Apparently the sector was not as unoccupied as they'd thought; perhaps the infection was interfering with scanners. Somehow the infected Mouse had followed them through the portal, no doubt aided by the Hacker-sprite's stealth abilities.  
  
Anna and Mouse rolled across the ground as they wrestled with each other. Anna had no idea how Mouse had broken free from her restraints, but this wasn't the time to worry about it. "Cappaten," Anna began, but a firm hand clamped against her mouth; it prevented her from speaking.  
  
Mouse released a shrill hiss, her fangs longer and more pointed than ever before. She planted a knee against Anna's midsection and kept a hand clamped over Anna's mouth.  
  
"Mouse! STOP!" Starwell yelled, even though it did no good. Mouse was obviously not herself by any sense of means.  
  
Anna grabbed the infected sprite by the hair and yanked. Mouse snarled, grabbing her katana and directing it at Anna's face.  
  
The Rogue Guardian bit down on Mouse's hand, causing a temporary distraction. With a thrust of her legs, Anna managed to kick Mouse aside.  
  
"Cappaten, containment field!" Red beams of energy encircled Mouse and pinned her limbs, causing her to fall...  
  
But not before Mouse had already thrown her katana with a very, very strong arm that her infection enabled her with.  
  
Starwell's eyes flew wide in horror. "ANNA!" she screamed.


	72. Chapter 72

Anna grunted, feeling her shoulders throbbing from the impact of slamming against the pavement. The razor sharp edge of the katana had pierced her bitmap; the hilt stuck out below her throat and above her bosom.  
  
Thankfully it had missed its obvious target, her throat. Anna inhaled sharply as the user-sprite rushed to her side.   
  
"Oh my God, oh my God!" Starwell’s hand hovered near Anna’s still form, as if unsure what to do.  
  
The Rogue Guardian gritted her teeth. "Just be quiet." Anna slowly reached up and grabbed the hilt. She hesitated, as if to brace herself... then she gave it a firm yank.  
  
The katana clattered on the ground beside her as her form flickered once, then twice.   
  
"Are... are you okay?" Starwell bit her lower lip.  
  
Anna looked at her with blank eyes. She opened her mouth and tried to say something, but nothing coherent came out. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she went offline.  
  
"Anna? Anna... come on, wake up!" Starwell gingerly touched the Guardian's shoulders, somewhat fearful that she might be cuffed. There was no movement, although Anna's chest still heaved with breath.  
  
The Rogue Guardian was still alive, at least.  
  
Starwell plunked herself on the ground beside her for a moment, her breathing increasing. Nearby, Mouse snarled and struggled against her bounds, as did Frisket.  
  
The User-Sprite scowled at the bound Frisket. She needed to get her Keytool back... but she couldn't risk freeing Frisket. What was she going to do?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"What's happening? Starwell? Starwell!"  
  
Connection was lost on Glitch, and Bob cursed in Web Rider-tongue, something he had rarely used since his time back in Mainframe. He picked his pace up, and Ray followed behind.  
  
But then he turned down the next corridor...  
  
"Stop in the name of Lord Megabyte!-"  
  
"-Yeah, yeah! In Lord Megabyte's name!"  
  
Two robotic, infected Hack and Slash barred the way. Their metal bodies didn't seem too much affected by the seeming iconic spongy-effect, but rather had turned a different shade of color. Hack's usual red was now dark purple, while Slash's usual blue had turned black. Their eyes retained the red and green color.  
  
Under normal circumstances, even with the nostalgia of Hack and Slash serving Megabyte, Bob wouldn't have hesitated. Now, he'd be Basic to do so.  
  
The moment that Bob had knocked Slash aside for room, was the moment all things went to the Web. Hack had let out an ear piercing alarm, and the noise was replied with a series of snarls and roars.  
  
Bob figured something like this would happen.  
  
"RUN!"  
  
He and Ray booked it. By the ways they were running, it almost seemed like infected binomes were coming out the walls themselves.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“Easy boy… nice dog…” Starwell gulped as she approached the infected Frisket. “I just need Gizmo back, that’s all…”   
  
A soft coughing sound caught her attention. Starwell looked back at Anna, who seemed to be stirring somewhat. “Anna?”  
  
The Rogue Guardian did not respond immediately. She clutched her chest and, with great effort, rolled onto her side. “Ugh,” she grunted. Pain lanced through her torso. The katana blade had penetrated her bitmap and possibly damaged her code, just a bit. As long as she was careful the damage would, hopefully, not spread to the point of partial fragmentation.  
  
“Anna!” Starwell knelt down beside her. “Anna, come on! Can you get up? We gotta…”  
  
Her eyes widened when snarls filled the air; she could already see the glowing eyes of virals approaching. “I thought you said this sector was empty!” she squeaked.  
  
Anna groaned softly as she pushed herself into a sitting position. “It was,” she grunted. Her hand pressed against her forehead; her processor was throbbing. “We need to move,” she said.   
  
Starwell touched the Guardian’s arms, preparing to help her up, but Anna flinched and slapped her hands away. “Don’t touch me,” Anna snapped, gathering what energy she could muster.  
  
Stung, and somewhat terrified by the approaching binomes, Starwell jumped to her feet and stepped back. “Just trying to help!” she snapped. “We gotta get out of here!”  
  
Anna hissed through her teeth as she painfully forced herself to her feet. “I don’t need an infected User touching me,” she spat.  
  
“I’m fine!” Starwell snapped defensively. “I just… need Gizmo back!” She cast a glance toward the dog.  
  
“Then call your Keytool back; one dog is going to be the least of our worries in a moment.” Anna eyed the approaching viral binomes.  
  
“Uh…” Starwell gulped. “Gizmo… come here, carefully!”  
  
Gizmo went one step further. It released a violent electrical jolt in its rope-form, enough to stun the dog and render him temporarily offline. Then it untangled itself and morphed back into its default form and returned to Starwell’s arm.  
  
“Come on,” Anna said, “and use your Keytool; we’re gonna need it to get out of this.”  
  
They each took turns using their Keytools to get through the swarm of infected people. An electrical shock here, a restraining field there, an energy field to block a path over there…   
  
At one point, when they passed through a zone that was already collapsing in places, Anna ordered Cappaten to emit a narrow beam of energy to make an unstable pillar crash to the ground, blocking the path of advancing virals.  
  
Unfortunately, that also caused the rest of the superstructure to crumble and fall to pieces; apparently the viral infection had had a negative effect on at least some building structures.  
  
“If this infection isn’t stopped, the entire System is going to crash!” Anna exclaimed, as chunks of concrete and stone began to fall around their ears.  
  
Starwell screamed as a piece of the ceiling came crashing down, missing her by inches. She began to run, throwing her arms over her head as if to ward off the falling debris. Gizmo chirped and formed sort of an umbrella-shaped energy field above them; it deflected the worst of the falling objects.  
  
Anna tried to follow Starwell, but that became impossible when the User-sprite vanished behind a wall that crumbled and fell; it nearly collapsed on top of the Guardian. Anna had been forced to jump back and take cover behind a fallen colum, something which didn’t bring her injured form any comfort.  
  
Self-preservation became the first priority for the Guardian as she desperately made her way toward the nearest way out. Dust clouded her vision and caused her to choke as she dodged falling debris; she scrambled in what she hoped was the right direction.  
  
Finally she made it outside, just as the building finished caving in on itself. She allowed herself to collapse, panting and gasping for breath. Her bitmap felt like it was on fire. Just need to… rest a moment, she thought as she permitted herself to slip into a light rest. She refused to let herself pass out or fall asleep; she couldn’t. Not now.  
  
“Cappaten,” she murmured with her eyes half-shut, “scanner.” Her vision blurred somewhat as she looked at the readouts. There were infected binomes around in every direction, but thankfully none in the immediate area. Some of them were blocked off, others had been trapped inside the now-collapsed building.  
  
But there was something… a blip that was wandering in her general direction. She grunted, and she hauled herself up against a collapsed pillar. As long as she kept her head low it would serve as adequate cover.  
  
Then she heard something she didn’t expect to hear. A voice off in the distance was calling her name… at least it sounded like it. She blinked; her head continued to throb. Maybe she was just imagining it.  
  
But over the next few nanos, the voice came closer… and more distinct. It sounded like a familiar voice was calling out, crying her name.  
  
Very cautiously, she peered over the fallen beam and squinted into the darkness. The area before her stretched almost like a cemetery; several other buildings had collapsed already and wasted away. Apparently some of the outer sectors had been effected badly, though somehow the more Residential areas, especially those closest to the Principal Office at the heart of the city, remained intact. This was all according to Cappaten’s scanner readouts.  
  
Whether they would stay that way over time… that remained to be seen. It was possible that Megabyte’s infection simply had a more adverse effect on some areas more than others. Did it mean they were weaker, or perhaps less protected somehow?  
  
The voice called out her name again, breaking into her musings. Obviously her processor was being hindered by pain and exhaustion; it was difficult for her to focus. She could make out the faint outline of a sprite approaching; he emerged from behind a pile of rubble.  
  
Anna’s eyes went absolutely wide. “No,” she whispered in disbelief. “It’s not possible…”  
  
George Mount came into full view, his bitmap barely distinguishable from the rubble in the darkness, but still distinct. “Anna, are you here?” he called out again, looking frantically in every direction.  
  
Anna pushed herself up and propped an elbow on the edge of the pillar. “Hey,” she called out, “if you don’t shut up and get over here you’re going to give away our position!”  
  
His head swung in her direction and his eyes locked onto her. “Anna!” He nearly stumbled over pieces of debris and cracked pavement as he rushed to her.   
  
It was impossible to tell who initiated the tight embrace; they found themselves sealed in each other’s arms. “Ow,” Anna grunted as George squeezed her. “Watch it.”  
  
He pulled back just enough to look at her; he touched her shoulders. “You’re hurt,” he said. “You need help.”  
  
“I’m fine.” Anna’s face was a blank mask… except for her eyes. “You… you really came here for me.”  
  
“Of course I did.” George hugged her again, more gently this time. “I’ve been worried sick about you.” He ran his fingers through her hair, stroking the red strands and giving her neck a light kiss.  
  
In spite of herself and the dire circumstances, Anna found herself relaxing and melting under his touch. She had not realized how much she missed the familiar feeling of his hands and the way his presence soothed her. A pang of guilt struck her in the stomach as she remembered the way she’d treated him when this entire mess with the User started.  
  
Had she been wrong somehow? Had she gone overboard? No, no… Users were evil… Users ruined her life…  
  
“Oh, George…” Anna Code never cried, not since she was a child. She had promised to be strong, that she would never shed a tear again because it would show she was weak.  
  
But now… now as she stared up into George’s face, with everything she had done and everything she had experienced within recent seconds, accompanied with the joy of seeing him again… it tolled on her. Something inside her snapped.  
  
“Anna…” George lifted his arm and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Your face is wet.” He sounded as astonished as he felt.  
  
The Rogue Guardian buried her face into his torso, and he held her securely as she cried softly. “Just let it out,” he whispered. “We’re safe…” He glanced around warily. “For the moment.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell panted as she ran through the streets. Everything around her just looked... wrong. Very, very wrong. The sky was black in an unnatural way; it wasn't the clouded purple-black that it was when a Game came into the city. It was a sickly, ink black.   
  
Even the buildings looked bad. It was hard to describe, they just looked... like they were covered in contamination. A kind of scaly coating covered the surface of the buildings in a way that made her not want to touch them or go inside. In fact... the same kind of infection was on the pavement beneath her feet.  
  
"Yuck," Starwell exclaimed as she moved. She didn't want to step on it... but she didn't have much choice. Well, at least she was wearing boots.  
  
Something that sounded like an ear-splitting yell caught her attention; she glanced up sharply. She stared in astonishment at a young sprite, who appeared to be around her age and her size, was running in her general direction. He also appeared to be... clean of the infection.  
  
Who was he?  
  
The boy just kept running and screaming, terrified as he looked around this new System. This looked even creepier than the last one; that system freaked him out enough, and this one looked like a horror movie! Greg kept shrieking, not having any idea where his uncle or George were, as he ran from the...weird things that chased him! He saw someone up ahead, a girl that looked different than the...programs that had attacked him.  
  
However, he kept screaming as he darted in her direction. "SOMEBODY HELP ME, SOMEBODY HELP ME!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.   
  
Starwell jumped up and waved her arms, trying to get his attention. "Come on, over here!" she shouted. Why did this boy seem familiar somehow? Did she know him?  
  
She waited until he neared her, then she grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. "Gizmo," she ordered, "energy shield." With that, a golden light formed around them. The energy barrier kept everything from getting near them; infected binomes bounced off of it if they got too close.  
  
Starwell glanced around, making sure that nothing could touch them, then she looked into the frightened eyes of the boy. "It's okay," she said. "Who are you? How did you avoid the infection?"  
  
"Infection? What? Who are you?!?!" Greg asked, still panicked as he stared in horror at the infected binomes that were desperate to get to the pair.  
  
Starwell narrowed her eyes. Wait, she knew that voice... even if it had been a while since she'd heard it. "Wait a minute... Greg, that isn't you, is it?" It couldn't be him. It just couldn't, it was impossible... wasn't it? No, it had to be just some random sprite she hadn't met yet...  
  
"How do you know..." Greg said, but for a split nano, he calmed down slightly and stared at the person, or sprite, that was in front of him. He knew her, too....and he couldn't believe it. She seemed so different. He didn't know whether to be happy or angry about finding her.  
  
"HANNAH!" he exclaimed in shock.   
  
"Oh my God, oh my God!" Starwell actually forgot herself for a moment. It had been so long since anyone had called her "Hannah", and so long since she'd seen a slice of Home... she very nearly forgot where she was for an instant. She even forgot that she generally didn't like her brother all that much, most of the time back home.  
  
"GREG!" she flung her arms around him, only slightly restricted by the energy barrier that surrounded them, and squeezed him tightly. "You little brat! How did you find me?! Why are you here?!"  
  
Greg didn't seem too responsive to the hug. "Well, Uncle Frank came to find you...and he made me come along!" he explained, still sounding unhappy about it. "What is going on around here?! The computer land is freaky!"  
  
Starwell pulled back from him and gasped. "Uncle Frank?!" she practically yelled. "Uncle Frank is here too?! This is terrible!" She pressed her hands against her cheeks, feeling excitement and horror well up inside her. "I mean... I don't know! I'm glad to know you guys are here, but... damnit, you guys can't be here! Things are going CRAZY around here!"  
  
"Yeah, what have you gotten us into?!" Greg shouted. He was still incredibly panicked and terrified at all that was going on. "This is all your fault! Uncle Frank wouldn't have forced me to come with him if you hadn't done any of this!"  
  
Snarls sounded off around them; they were completely surrounded now. Starwell tried to ignore them; she and Greg seemed safe, for the moment at least. "What do you mean?" she blinked. "Are you saying Uncle Frank made you come into his computer with him to help find me?"  
  
"Weellll..." Greg slowly replied; okay so maybe Uncle Frank hadn't forced him to come into the computer...but how was Greg supposed to know that the minute he entered the room he'd be sucked into the stupid machine?! Who was prepared for that?! "Okay no, but he did make me leave that first...place with him and that other dude!"  
  
"What other dude?" Starwell asked. Gizmo interrupted the conversation by beeping on her arm. "Uh... yeah, this is my brother, Greg," Starwell said to it, obviously understanding the noises it made. Gizmo shifted a bit on her arm, beeping and whirring some more. "I know, I know!" Starwell said. "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on and what to do next!"  
  
"Who are you talking to?" Greg snapped. His terror and horror hadn't subsided very much; finding Hannah didn't reassure him too much. "Does the air talk to you here, too?!"  
  
Hannah sighed impatiently and shoved her forearm into his face so that Gizmo nearly smacked the bridge of his nose. "I'm talking to my Keytool!" she said. "See this thing? He's alive, and he's been helping me a lot since I first got here!"  
  
Greg leaned back slightly so that her arm didn't hit him. "Talking watches?! I didn't hear him say anything!" he argued.  
  
Gizmo shifted somewhat and let out a series of beeps and clicks, as if to prove that it could in fact talk. And talk very well.   
  
"Gizmo speaks his own language, you dork," Starwell stated, pulling her arm back a bit. "Well... at least I guess he does." She shrugged. "I guess I understand him because... he's connected to me somehow."  
  
Greg briefly looked at the buzzing Keytool, although it was more of a glance rather than an in-depth look. "Well why didn't I get one of those?!" he whined. If Hannah had one since she got here, why didn't he? That wasn't very fair!  
  
Hannah blinked. "Uh..." She looked down at Gizmo, and then back him. "I have no idea... I don't even know how I got one!" She scratched the back of her head.  
  
Before Greg could argue anymore, he looked at the infected creatures that were just aching to get through the energy shield. He screamed again. "GET US OUT OF HERE!" he demanded.  
  
"Um... just hang on a nano!" Starwell stood. "Gizmo... disperse the energy barrier," she winked, "violently--but don't hurt anybody."  
  
The golden energy field turned white as it extroverted itself, sending out a shockwave in all directions around the two User-sprites as it sent the infected binomes flying or just crashing to the ground. It was enough to stun them, but not hurt them.  
  
"Come on!" Starwell grabbed her brother's arm and yanked. They had to get out of the area before the binomes recovered!  
  
Greg wasted no time in beginning to run with his sister. He wanted to get out of here badly! "Let's find Uncle Frank, and then we can go home!" he exclaimed.   
  
"Where did you last see him?" Hannah panted, looking in every direction as they ran. She wanted to make sure nothing was sneaking up on them.  
  
"How am I supposed to know? I've been running from those things, I don't know where we were or where they are now!" he answered, slightly defensively.  
  
Starwell let out a frustrated breath. "Great!" she exclaimed. She yanked on his arm again and took them down another street. She glanced both ways, then she ran for the nearest building. She did not want to go inside, not with that contamination coating it, but they had to hide somewhere and get their bearings.


	73. Chapter 73

She opened the door, pushed Greg inside, then stepped inside herself and sealed the door shut. She checked with Gizmo to make sure the building was empty, then she turned to look at Greg.  
  
"This is just great..." She leaned heavily against the wall and pressed her hands against her temples.   
  
"Yeah, it is!" Greg said as he crossed his arms. He almost looked like a child pouting. "Why did you have to go inside of Uncle Frank's computer?! I've barely been here and I've already gone through so many weird things just to find you!"  
  
"Well so have I! And if I'm not mistaken I've been in here longer, you twerp! What's the worst thing that happened to you?"  
  
Greg narrowed his eyes angrily. "I've been in weird places that I don't recognize, a toilet has talked to me, I've been carried around by a bug lady, Uncle Frank has ignored me every time I've tried to talk to him, I've been hungry, and I nearly got killed by those weird things! That's what's been going on with me, you mutated cow!"  
  
His sister stamped her foot as she took two steps closer to him, glaring daggers at him. "For one thing," she said in a very, very clear tone, "I nearly got killed by a Guardian who hates me as soon as I entered Uncle Frank's System. After that, I ended up in Mainframe, where I nearly got killed inside a Game! Not only that, but I got turned into a werewolf while I was in that stupid Game and a friend had to make an icky cure to make me normal! Not only that, but I've been scared to death that I would never get back home again! And now a crummy virus has infected the entire System, and most of my new friends are being turned into zombies!"  
  
She paused for a breath, huffing a bit. "So don't think that you've had it any worse than me!" she snapped.   
  
Greg stared at her, taking all of that in. After a nano, he spoke again. "...well, at least you never went hungry!" he countered, before looking away indignantly.  
  
"Pardon me," Starwell snapped sarcastically. "I'll ask them to go build a McDonalds just for you after we deal with this virus problem!" She swung her arm in a gesture of exasperation. "You are such a brat! You never think about anything except your stupid games and your junk food." She stalked toward him. "I bet after some time here, their energy food would melt off some of that blubber you got from sitting on the couch all day!" She jabbed his stomach with her index finger.  
  
"I'm not having one of those things again! That shake that guy gave me tasted bad enough! I'd rather keep the blubber," Greg stubbornly argued.   
  
"You don't even know what it's like to go hungry or live on the streets for a while! I do!" Starwell shouted. "I got so scared and hurt that I ran away for a while, and it's not fun. You think you have it so rough? You think you're having a bad day if your Xbox stalls because of a disk scratch!"  
  
"That reminds me!" Greg exclaimed. "To top it all off, my Xbox broke!"  
  
It took all of Starwell's willpower not to slug him across the side of the head right there and then. "You really don't care," she spat, tears of anger and some hurt forming in the corners of her eyes. She tilted her chin upward, refusing to let them fall. "You're always doing whatever you want, and Mom and Dad are always away on business trips. They never notice the D's and F's you're getting on your school reports until it's too late, and even then they don't do anything about it!"  
  
Starwell turned away sharply on her heel, smacking her fist against the wall. She continued speaking, but she did not look at him. "I'm the one who's always getting A's and B's, and they think that means they can just ignore me," she said. "Because I'm the kid who's gonna be 'going places someday'. You don't even care about anything except your basic interests, and they treat you like a prince."  
  
Greg was slightly taken aback by his sister's sudden outburst. "What are you talking about?! I've never heard you go on like this before!" he said, still sounding frustrated.   
  
Now she looked at him. "Don't you know how much I've given up for you?" she demanded, her voice cracking with a bitter edge. "Mom and Dad let you get away with murder while they're out on their stupid business trips or whatever else they do. Then they come home and find out that you've flunked an entire semester or that you got sent home from school for fighting or something. And what do they do? They make me stay home with you to try and tutor you, since I'm excelling in my schoolwork."  
  
She planted her hands on her hips. "Do you have any idea how many parties I've had to miss because of you? I even missed my best friend's wedding because of your antics, and because Mom and Dad are too busy to deal with you themselves. It's like I'm supposed to be your mother while I'm trying to get good grades and think about what I'm doing with my life.   
  
"Then," she went on, "whenever our parents decide to go out of state for any reason, they dump on us Aunt Marge and Uncle Frank. That's the only break I get, because at least I don't have to look after you."  
  
"And all of this is supposed to be my fault? Yeah, yeah, they aren't the best parents...but you blame me for that?!" Greg asked, a little calmer but still very on edge.   
  
Starwell swiped at her cheeks in annoyance. She didn't want to get all blubbery in front of him. "When we get home," she said in a low voice, a solemn oath, "I am going to be different from you. I'm going to make something of myself. I'll work hard to become a doctor or a computer tech or a teacher... something. And when you crash and burn, and become a bum who lives out on the streets... I'll be there to gloat."  
  
She folded her arms across her chest. Deep down, she knew that she was being very, very cruel in saying it. But after everything she'd been through, putting up with her brother's bratty attitude was not something she needed. Especially in light of all this.  
  
Greg gritted his teeth. "Well, Miss Perfect, if you think that its been easy for me in all of this, then think again! Do you really think that I got bad grades just so I could ruin your life?! Or that I got into a fight just so you could miss a wedding? No! You've always been good at school, able to do this and that...I haven't, and every time I've failed a class, I know Mom and Dad aren't happy! Its not like I've enjoyed having you tutor me and all of that other crap! Okay, so maybe I've screwed up a lot, but I suppose that compared to you, even the best person would look stupid! And when you would try to help me, I knew you didn't really want to! Its not like you ever really tried to be there, so go ahead, gloat when your predictions come through; won't be much different from normal, huh?"  
  
Starwell pressed her lips into a thin line. "That's not true!" she whispered in denial, shaking her head. "I did do my best to help you with your stupid math and science problems. I even helped you get a B on history once!"  
  
"Did you really ever care though? Seriously?" Greg asked, with a tone of sarcasm in his voice.  
  
Hannah closed her eyes. "Let's just stop talking about this... please," she sniffled.  
  
"Fine by me," Greg agreed. "Now get me home!"   
  
His sister sighed. "Yeah, home," she grumbled. It was the first time she'd said that in a way that sounded more like a complaint than a wish.   
  
Greg raised an eyebrow; he didn't like the way that she said that. "Wait a second or nano or whatever you say...why don't you seem as eager to go home as I do?" he asked suspiciously.   
  
"What do you mean?" Hannah narrowed her eyes. "I've wanted nothing more than to go home ever since I got here! You think I want to spend the rest of my life in this weird insanity? It's just too strange!"  
  
"Then why did you sound like you almost didn't care just now?" Greg pressed.   
  
"Will you just shut up? I've got a lot on my mind right now. And I'm not looking forward to going home just to get yelled at by Uncle Frank and deal with your bratty attitude." Hannah's shoulders slumped. "Not to mention the lecture we're probably both gonna get from Mom and Dad when Uncle Frank tells them we were naughty at his house," she grumped under her breath.  
  
"Well it sure is better than this place!" Greg declared, looking around, still a little terrified at his surroundings.  
  
"That's right, it is better than this place!" Starwell snapped defensively. It was what she had been saying to herself all along for some time now. "Back home we won't have to deal with virus infections or people who hate Users or any of these stupid Games where we might get ourselves killed."  
  
She frowned. Did part of her actually... feel conflicted right now? Had she been in the Net too long, to the point where her sprite side was taking more of a forefront than her human side?   
  
Was part of her... getting used to this? There was something inside of her that almost seemed to "belong" here. The more she stayed here, the more she felt it. And whatever part of her that was... Gizmo was firmly attached to it. She had no doubt that when she returned to the real world, that part of her would... die.  
  
Alpha Starwell, and possibly Gizmo, would ceased to exist.  
  
The Keytool on her arm beeped. "I..." Starwell/Hannah clamped a hand around her icon and yanked it off, squeezing it between her fingers. "Oh... Bob, and Matrix!" Her eyelids flickered open. "They.. they have taken good care of me. Everybody has. They kept saying they would help me get home..."  
  
"Who? Who are you talking about now?!" Greg asked.  
  
"Never mind, you don't know anything!" Starwell's temper flared, partially fueled by the conflict inside of her, a conflict even she didn't fully understand. She sighed, and regained her composure. "They're friends, okay? They... they've helped me out a lot. So did Mouse and AndrAIa. And... I just gotta make sure they're okay before we leave here. I mean..."  
  
She stomped her foot in frustration. "Ugh, they're NOT okay! I've got to fix this somehow!"  
  
Greg was silent for a nano or two, thinking on what his sister had just said. "You don't want to leave, do you?" he asked. It was meant as a question, but it almost turned into more of a statement. "You like living here, inside the computer. You don't want to go home at all! You've gotten attached to the people here!"  
  
"I like these people," Starwell stated. "They've helped me, they made me feel welcome, they even saved my life many times. And every time I've felt bad, they did or said something to make me feel better. They..."   
  
She bit her lower lip. What she said next came out in a hoarse whisper as her throat constricted. "They've done more than Mom and Dad ever have."  
  
"So you don't wanna go home, really," Greg confirmed. This conversation had become a lot deeper than he was used to. "You like it here, and you don't want to go home. You've probably acted like it, maybe, but...you like the attention that these people give you. That's what matters to you."  
  
"I DO want to go home!" Starwell yelled. "I want to graduate from high-school and college, and make something with myself. I want to get married and maybe have kids someday. I want Mom and Dad to..." She gulped. "To see me do all those things... Oh!" She threw her hands into the air. "Who am I kidding? They never have noticed a lot of the things I've done. They're just glad that I get good grades and that I'm a good girl. It just means they can ignore me even more."  
  
She pursed her lips. "Why the hell are we talking about this?" she growled. "We're still in trouble here. We've.... gotta find Uncle Frank, and find a way to help Mainframe."  
  
"You're right, we do need to find Uncle Frank! Because whether you come or not, I am ready to get out of here!" Greg yelled angrily. He couldn't believe that they did all of this, just to find out that his sister probably didn't want to come back anyway!  
  
"I am going back home," she growled, and she unlocked the door. "In fact, just to prove you wrong, I'm not even speaking to these people anymore!" Gizmo began to beep, and she glared it into silence. "Come on!" She stepped outside.  
  
"Yeah, whatever. Let's find Uncle Frank and...uh, George," Greg said, hoping he was remembering the guy's name right.   
  
Hannah didn't answer him; she was flustered, partially due to the argument with him, the chaos around Mainframe, and she was angered by Starwell. Just... what had that Conversion Device done to her, anyway? Had she truly become a different person after spending so much time in the Net?  
  
"I'm not different," she growled out loud, mostly to that other side of her that felt like it belonged in the Net. "I'm still the same Hannah that I've always been!" She took a sharp turn and marched down a different street, not even paying attention to where she was going.  
  
"Someone's insecure..." Greg muttered, rolling his eyes.   
  
"I'm not insecure!" she snapped without looking at him.   
  
"Someone's insecuuureeee...." Greg sang playfully, if to annoy her with someone else...and possibly ease his nerves.   
  
"I AM NOT!" Starwell stamped her foot, and kept on walking.  
  
"Are too!" Greg argued, following along.   
  
She stopped and whirled on him. This forced Greg to come to an abrupt halt; he nearly stepped on his sister's toes. "You know something? I'm going to prove I'm still Hannah!" She glanced down at her hand; it still held her Icon. "I don't need these Net-things. As soon as we find Uncle Frank, I'm done with everything. Even Gizmo!"  
  
Gizmo was shocked. It beeped in protest, and let out a series of clicks and whirs.  
  
"You can't come with me anyway," Starwell snapped. She squeezed her Icon in her hand, as if wishing she could simply crush it and be done with it. "Just be quiet. Let's go, Greg." She started walking again.  
  
"Whatever, I don't care! Just make sure that we actually find Uncle Frank!"   
  
"We will." Hannah frowned. The conflicting sides within her weren't getting any easier to deal with. Starwell loved Gizmo and would never throw it away. Starwell loved her friends... Matrix, Bob, and the others. Starwell was even getting used to the Games, and wanted to help the System.  
  
But Hannah was internally freaking out. Was she losing her identity to this weird Net persona she had become? What had happened to her?  
  
"Greg, hold these for me." She tossed her Icon at him, and then yanked Gizmo off of her arm and threw the Keytool to him, too. She just... wanted them away from her person for just a few nanos. Maybe it would help her think, or regain some of her former identity.  
  
Greg caught them, just barely, and almost started complaining about hauling all of her stuff around. But then he looked at Gizmo, as she called it...a talking watch did seem kind of cool. "Hey, I deserve a consolation prize or something..." he muttered. He looked down at the Keytool. "So, got any games on here?"  
  
Gizmo was quite insulted, both at the question and at being tossed aside by Starwell. It shook in Greg's grasp, letting out a shrill hiss.  
  
"I guess that's a no," Greg muttered. "Gah, carrying you around with you like this is gonna be kind of hard. Well, watches weren't made to be carried, so..." He placed Gizmo on his left wrist. "Much better."  
  
Gizmo beeped, as though calling out to Starwell. She glanced in its direction, then stubbornly looked away. "Just stay where you are,' she muttered. "I think it's partly your fault I'm having an identity crisis right now!"  
  
The Keytool let out a plaintive noise. It's feelings were hurt.  
  
Something jumped out of a building in a sudden flash of movement; three infected programs attacked them.  
  
“Not again!” Starwell shouted, somewhat drowned out by Greg’s scream of “AAAAHHH IT’S THE ZOMBIES!”   
  
The boy was bowled over by a large figure that appeared to be a large Number 6. Greg continued to scream and yell as he kicked and punched wildly, squirming out of the creature’s grasp. Gizmo forcefully pried itself off of the boy’s arm (it didn’t want to be there anyway) and fell to the ground as Greg scrambled to his feet and began to run.  
  
Greg didn’t even notice that he’d dropped his sister’s Icon. He probably thought it was little more than a fancy button anyway. The black-and-white circle rolled across the ground like a wayward coin as it zipped down the street… and fell into the gutter. Nobody noticed the Icon fall through a storm drain and vanish somewhere into the sewage tunnels below.  
  
Starwell directed a swift kick toward a pair of binomes who attacked her. She managed to stun one of them, but the other grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her off-balance. “Enough of this!” she barked, kicking the binome squarely in the eyes. It grunted and pain and loosened its grip enough for her to pull free.  
  
She cast a quick glance around; Greg was nowhere in sight, and a large Number 6 was coming toward her. She stumbled over her own limbs as she got to her feet and began to run.  
  
Gizmo shrieked and flew after her, re-attaching itself to her arm before she got too far away.  
  
Starwell made it to the end of the street and rounded a corner. She look a nano to look around, then she dove head-first through a broken window and landed in a heap on the filthy, infection-coated floor within a house. She was vaguely aware of the sound of footfalls as her pursuers ran right past the window outside.  
  
She was silent and still for a long moment, hand pressed against her mouth and barely breathing until she was sure she was safe. Then she gasped for breath, panting and puffing until she caught her breath. “When is this gonna end?” she huffed as she stood and looked around.   
  
This house looked fairly… homey, complete with furniture, a few portraits that hung from the walls, and even a fireplace. It looked like the occupant had long since vacated the premises, though. Probably out chasing people like me, she thought, and then her heart skipped a beat. “Oh God… Greg…” She walked toward the window and peered out. There was no one out there now.  
  
“Great, just great!” She stamped her foot and collapsed on the sofa for a moment, trying to get her bearings and figure out what to do next.  
  
Gizmo beeped. Starwell glared at it. “I thought I told you to stay with Greg,” she snapped. She was far more testy than usual. “Why do you stay with me, anyway? You’re like an annoying puppy who keeps getting underfoot even when you’re not wanted.”  
  
There was a brief pause, and then the Keytool responded by doing something it had never done before. It gave Starwell the distinct impression that she was being looked at severely. Then it released a series of clicks, beeps and whirs that were probably some of the harshest, and most heart-felt, ever uttered by any Keytool anywhere.  
  
Gizmo professed that it had been nothing but loyal to her, and by all that existed in the Net it loved her. It had assisted her every step of the way, it had done its best to provide information when she needed it, it had protected her, and it even tolerated her rude attitude when she became stressed or distraught. It finished its straight-forward, blunt commentary with a simple, matter-of-fact statement: It did not appreciate being flung aside as if it meant nothing. It didn’t like that in the slightest.  
  
“Okay… okay!” Starwell placed a gentle hand over the Keytool, a gesture meant to soothe and get it to stop shaking. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean what I said. Just…” She drew her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I don’t know anymore, okay? All of this is really weird, and my entire world has been turned upside-down and inside-out! I think… I think I’m finally going crazy!”  
  
Gizmo settled down. The Keytool beeped a series of sounds that translated approximately as, “Then let’s get through this together.” It seemed to nestle even more securely against her arm.  
  
“Yeah…” Starwell squeezed her eyes tightly shut, and then stirred. “I won’t throw you aside again,” she vowed as she got up off the couch.  
  
Gizmo beeped appreciatively. It had already forgiven her.  
  
Starwell took a moment to collect herself and look around. “Okay,” she muttered, pacing a little as she began to prioritize. “We gotta find Greg and Uncle Frank, and we should probably find Anna and Bob too. Ugh!” She threw her hands into the air. “I don’t even know where to start!”  
  
Gizmo responded by scanning the area. As it scanned for local PIDs, Starwell noticed something.  
  
“Hey… I wonder what happened to my Icon,” she commented, patting the place where it had been. Then she remembered that Greg had it. Knowing him, he probably dropped it somewhere when he ran.   
  
Well, it was just an Icon… as long as she didn’t go into Games, did it really matter if she didn’t have it on her Bitmap? What was the worst that could happen?


	74. Chapter 74

It almost seemed as though every binome in Mainframe had poured into the Principal Office, even if it was well-known that a lot of people worked there anyway.  
  
“Come on,” Bob urged as they ran. “It’s not much farther to the exit!”  
  
“In that case…” Ray tossed down his Surf Board, where it proceeded to hover above the floor. He stepped onto it and then grabbed the Guardian by the arm, hauling him onto it. Ray maintained his balance on the Board and kept a firm grip on Bob to prevent the Guardian from falling off.  
  
The binomes hissed and snarled as they flew over their heads, and a few of them opened fire as they zipped down the corridor. Thankfully Ray’s Web Armor took the brunt of it.  
  
Finally they reached the exit at the front of the building. Bob cast a glance back at the Principal Office, thinking briefly of Dot, of Mouse… and Phong. The Guardian knew that Phong was immune to most viral infections, with the exception of Daemon; hopefully his friend had managed to seal himself in a room or get out of the building.  
  
Ray’s Surf Board took them higher into the sky, where he brought them to a halt as they got a good look around. The Principal Office itself had darkened and it was coated with the same scaly, sponge-like infection that was visible on the afflicted binomes and sprites. To make it worse, the same contamination could be see throughout the city; it covered the buildings, large sections of the ground, even things such as street signs and vehicles.   
  
The VidWindows that normally showed advertisements, news bulletins and minor announcements had vanished for the most part.  
  
“This is bad,” Bob uttered after he got a good look. “This is very, very bad.”   
  
“You can say that again, mate,” Ray stated grimly.  
  
Bob looked at his friend with a serious expression he rarely wore. “We’ve got to find Anna Code and Starwell,” he said.  
  
“Aye, but where are they?” Ray looked out upon the infected city. “Tracking them down in this is gonna be tricky.”  
  
“I know,” Bob breathed. Well, there was one thing he could try. He raised his arm closer to his face. “Glitch,” he said, “get me Starwell.” Hopefully the girl was alright, and able to speak to him.  
  
It took a couple of nanos, but Starwell’s familiar features appeared on Glitch’s small screen, confirming that the Keytool had managed to link with Gizmo. “Bob?” she exclaimed, blinking. “Is that you?”  
  
“It’s me,” Bob confirmed, once again feeling relieved. “Are you alright? Is Anna Code still with you?”  
  
Starwell inhaled deeply and grimaced. She looked away from the screen, as though heavily distracted or not quite sure how to say something.  
  
“Starwell?” Bob pressed. “I need to know where you and Anna are.”  
  
“I don’t know where Anna is,” Starwell finally said, locks of her short black hair framing her face as she leaned downward. She appeared to be sitting. “Uh… we got separated. And um… Bob,” her tone became heavier, “there’s something else I’ve gotta tell you.”  
  
“What is it?” Bob asked, mildly alarmed by the way she sounded.  
  
Starwell licked her lips and all but gulped. “Bob… my brother, and my Uncle Frank… they’re here, in Mainframe. I don’ t know where they are right now, but I saw my brother and he said Uncle Frank came, too.”   
  
It actually took Bob a moment to process that. “What?” More Users in Mainframe?  
  
Starwell looked flustered. “Look, I can’t just stay here. I gotta find them. I think I’m somewhere outside of Kits Sector… find me there if you want to meet up.”  
  
“Starwell, wait!” Bob protested, but the connection cut out. “Starwell!” He quickly realized she wasn’t going to answer, and he grew frustrated. Maybe Matrix really was rubbing off on her…   
  
“Her Uncle Frank…” Ray mused with a frown. “Isn’t that the one we’ve heard about? The User who made it possible for Users to enter the Net?”  
  
“Yeah,” Bob breathed. “We’d better find them. Come on.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It took a while, but Frank eventually managed to lose the mob of binomes who’d been chasing him. Once he was sure he was safe, at least for the moment, he let out a huff of breath and thought about the kids.  
  
Obviously the next order of business was to find them and get them out of here. He’d already determined that this was a very, very bad place to be. Unfortunately though, sometimes computers became infected and corrupted, and it wasn’t his responsibility to deal with it. He simply had to grab the kids and leave before something happened to them, or before--worst case scenario--the System crashed or the User chose to wipe everything and start fresh.  
  
Perhaps that was paranoid thinking, but… Frank knew that he and his niece and nephew were basically just data files now. Highly compressed and unique data files, but still data nonetheless that existed in raw memory. That meant… they could be lost.  
  
“Damn those kids,” he muttered under his breath as he proceeded to run. He wasn’t the best at stealth, but he had to find them without drawing attention to himself. “I should never have brought my work home with me. Then this wouldn’t have happened.”  
  
He resisted the urge to call out their names as he ran. That would have been the worst thing he could do, considering how many of the “zombies”, as Greg called them, were around.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The alert came quick, and he smiled. The newcomers will do nicely, for now.  
  
He then "moved". It wasn't walking per say, but more of a mode of transportation between hosts. An after-effect of his plan had been the destruction of his original body. He merely transferred his code, and took control of another.  
  
He "appeared", in the mist of a mob. His arrival shattered their rage, and scattered them. The only thing left was the new, young sprite, trying to hide but with failure.  
  
"Hello boy," said Megabyte, "You are Greg, I presume?"  
  
The boy's eyes flew wide as he stared up at a massive, ugly figure. He'd been backed up against a wall, cornered between a couple of buildings.  
  
He cried out, holding his arms up defensively. "Who--what--are you?!" he yelled, obviously terrified.  
  
"I?” Megabyte smiled a charming smile, even if it looked more creepy than anything on his face. “I, dear boy, am your new friend," the virus held himself as a gentlemen, as if the chaos around was merely a mess to clean.  
  
Greg still looked terrified. His face had gone as white as a sheet, especially since he didn't know where Uncle Frank or even his sister was now.  
  
"You're ugly!" Greg's voice cracked a bit, and not entirely due to puberty. "You look like every bad guy I've ever seen in my games! Just s-stay back!"  
  
"Is that right, dear boy?" Megabyte let out a small chuckle, "Tell me. Do you know what happens when you play games? Somebody gets hurt."  
  
Greg's eyelids flickered. "Huh?" he said. He couldn't recall anybody getting hurt in games... well, except for that one emo girl back home who threatened to kill herself after Greg and his friends had picked on her one too many times in an online game.  
  
That had simply lead to Greg's parents taking his computer away for a week, grounding him. After being forced to apologize to the girl, he'd taken care never to bully anyone again. He simply traded barbs with his buddies; at least they could take a few jokes and smartass comments.  
  
"Look if you're some kind of demon trying to teach me about internet etiquette, I learned my lesson, okay?" Greg said. "Just... stay away from me."  
  
"If you insist..." Megabyte changed hosts. And in only a few short moments, the infected came again in numbers.  
  
He would simply have to convince the boy to join. It should be easy.  
  
"AAAAHHH!" Greg screamed, pressing himself flat against the wall and holding his arms out in front of him. "Stay back! KEEP THEM AWAY!"  
  
Megabyte returned, and the mob scurried away. "You called?"  
  
The boy gulped. He looked up at the metallic, scale-covered being that towered over him for a long moment. He practically shuddered as Megabyte's shadow fell over his form. It felt ominous, almost as if this being emanated a... darkness. Something nasty.  
  
Greg took a tentative step forward, prying himself away from the wall. "W-what do you want?" he stammered fearfully.  
  
"Why, I want what everybody wants. Freedom of the infection," Megabyte said, "My dear boy, do you think I started like this?"  
  
Greg blinked. "Uh... no?" He really wasn't sure what to think about anything. His brain had gone numb again. But he just knew he didn't want to piss this big guy off. It was just better to be agreeable.  
  
"But what are you?" Greg gulped. "You look like a game demon or something who's come to teach me a lesson for wasting too much time playing games.... or teach me the true meaning of Christmas or something."  
  
Megabyte chuckled, "No dear boy, I've come to you for help. You see, I was once what they have called a Guardian. But a virus has stolen my identity and caused all of this," He gestured wide, "He has tricked everyone into thinking that he is me. But, sadly, I cannot take him by myself, which is why I need you."  
  
Greg considered this for a moment. "I don't get it," he said. "I mean, if somebody stole your identity... that sucks, man. But how am I supposed to help with that?"  
  
"Don't you realize, my dear boy? You are a User, that is to say, a deity. Who better to help me in my plight than a creator of cyberspace?"  
  
Greg looked like he wasn't quite sure how to take that. This entire realm was weird enough, and now this person, or program, or whatever, was making it sound like he was a god or something.  
  
"Uh... I didn't, erm, create anything myself," he admitted sheepishly, touching his shoulder in an awkward gesture. "I just play games. But uh... if you think there's anything I can do, name it." He shrugged, then made a face. "Just keep those... things away from me."  
  
Megabyte lifted two fingers, and a small chip materialized inside of them. "This is an icon," he said. The chip had a strange design, the normal triangles had been replaced with a red lined bar code, the yellow and black, now blue and green, "All I need you to do is place it on the thief."  
  
Megabyte handed the chip to Greg, "Remember to keep it safe, or everything will be lost. If you need assurance, know that I will always be nearby. If you need confidence, think of this as a game with the icon as your package and the thief as your goal. If you need motivation, you could be looked up to by thousands."  
  
With that, Megabyte left. And mod did not return. He would watch the boy from afar, and make sure the objective is complete.  
  
Greg stared at the item in his hands, turning it over. "Weird," he said again, not for the first time. He poked at the back; it looked like circuitry.  
  
Was he really going to do this? Well... if it was just going to be like a game... who was he to turn down a challenge? He was considered one of the best game-players in his circle of friends. He grinned, thinking that maybe, just maybe, if he made it out of this alive... he could have something new to brag to his buddies about.  
  
Besides, he figured he'd better cooperate... especially if part of the deal was to keep those zombies away from him. He took two steps forward... then his face went blank when he realized something. "Uh... what does the imposter look like?" he asked out loud, suddenly feeling clueless.  
  
A voice brushed by Greg's ear, "He calls himself Bob. Look for a blue sprite with silver locks of hair."  
  
"AAAAHH!" Greg nearly jumped out of his skin--or bitmap. He nearly dropped the icon. "Dude, don't do that!" He clutched his chest and let out a breath. "Warn me next time!"  
  
Megabyte chuckled.  
  
Greg sighed, and began to press forward. "Blue sprite... named Bob," he muttered to himself.  
  
After he went down a street or two, he asked aloud, "Megabyte, you still there? I have a question."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Greg glanced about. How did Megabyte do that? "Well... why am I doing this? How come you haven't done it, if it's so easy?"  
  
"I can not get close. He has my Keytool, and will use it against me. He has once, which is why I no longer have a true physical form. Is there anything else?"  
  
"Keytool? Hey my sister has one of those!" Greg exclaimed. "You had one, too?"  
  
"Of course I did. Most Guardians do, but I'm afraid that your poor sister has fallen for the thief's hands. He has plans for her, dear boy."  
  
Greg stopped and frowned. "Wait a minute," he said, narrowing his eyes. "She told me something about Bob, I think... and somebody named Matrix."  
  
He frowned, confused. "She said they were friends or something. That they helped her, I think..."  
  
"There is nothing worse, that taking advantage of such friendship. Bob will use your sister, he will use her to spread this infection across the net. I'm afraid she will not make it through the process, unless we do something."  
  
"He's trying to use her?" The wheels began to turn in Greg's head. Suppose this was his chance to save the day, and rescue his sister and even his Uncle? If that was the case... this would be more fun and rewarding than any game he'd ever played.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll find this Bob guy," Greg said, staring to move again, more determined this time. He rather liked the idea of playing hero... even if this place still terrified him on some level. But with Megabyte watching out for him, how could he go wrong?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Frank stopped in mid-stride, glancing over his shoulder. He could swear he heard footfalls behind him; there seemed to be something lurking in the shadows.   
  
"Is someone there?" he asked, just loudly enough to be heard. In a way it seemed foolish to give away his position, but... if he was already being followed, then it was moot.  
  
"Show yourself!" He crept toward the shadows, narrowing his eyes as rounded the corner of a building.  
  
Frank pressed himself up against the wall, looking around. Footfalls were approaching from behind. He eyed a spot on the ground where he'd detected movement a moment ago; a pair of nulls squeaked and slithered away, out of sight.  
  
He blinked, not quite sure what those were, but... whatever. He didn't have time right now to learn about everything. The User sighed softly, and proceeded down the street.  
  
"I gotta find those kids," he growled to himself. With his luck, he was probably going to have to spend the rest of the day, or whatever, looking for them. Hopefully they were okay...  
  
Frank held his position for a moment longer, then decided he would make a run for it. He couldn't stay in one place for long, not if he wanted to continue his search.  
  
He glanced in all directions... then he began to run. Thankfully his sprite-form within Cyberspace allowed him to move swiftly, and with ease. At least until he ran low on energy.

0o0o0o0

Can't... Think... Straight.... An infected program moved forward, operating solely on viral instinct.  
  
Something followed Frank. It dodged out of sight, barely a disturbance in the corner of the eye.   
  
Uninfected. Not Viral. Enemy. Wait. Hunt.  
  
The man rounded a corner. His stalker followed.  
  
Prey. Target. Follow.  
  
What..?  
  
It looked on at the man, waiting for movement.  
  
A horrible screech filled the air.  
  
The Chase was on. Trap it. Trap prey. Tear. It. To. Bits.  
  
Wha...


	75. Chapter 75

Frank's pulse skipped a beat at the noise. He inhaled sharply and began to run faster, his feet pounding against the pavement.  
  
The creature behind him was large... bigger than him. It had the same contaminated look as any other creature he'd seen, though this brute had big muscles and a greenish tinge.  
  
Frank cursed, wishing that Qsa Linex could have joined him. At least she seemed formidable.  
  
Another guttural sound, the creature was on all fours. It mercilessly chased its prey.  
  
Frank ran into what appeared to be an abandoned building. He managed to kick the door open with his foot and then he slammed it shut behind him. Unable to find a locking mechanism, he put his full weight against the door and hoped that would hold.  
  
Better still, he hoped that creature wouldn't find him in here...  
  
It leaped into one of the windows, breaking glass and snarling.  
  
Frank gasped and leaped out of the way as the big burly creature came at him. He scrambled toward a large table and managed to push it over, serving as a barrier between himself and that thing.  
  
"Okay," he muttered breathlessly, "when I designed that hardware, I didn't bargain for this."  
  
It clawed and broke through the table. Reaching out to the man.  
  
Frank let out a yelp when the strange being clawed through the table, almost as though it were made of thin cardboard. He pressed himself against the wall as big, infected hands tried to reach for him.  
  
There seemed to be a slight hesitation in the creature's movements, though... not much, but just enough to notice.  
  
"Hey!" Frank shouted as he managed to duck out of reach. He whirled around behind the hulk, and began to back away slowly. "Look, bub," he said, "I'm not looking for trouble, I'm just trying to find my niece and nephew!"  
  
...Why was he trying to reason with what appeared to be a mindless monster?  
  
There came a strangled snarl.  
  
Frank took advantage of the creature's hesitation, making a beeline for the door. He kicked it open and dashed out onto the street.  
  
If only he had some kind of weapon or something! He sprinted off again, keeping his eyes peeled for something, anything, he could use to fend off the monster that was after him.  
  
Through the eyes of the beast, the world was a blur of colors as the thing traveled back outside. The prey was in the open and defenseless.  
  
It snarled, and inched closer.  
  
Frank managed to pry a piece of cracked pavement free from the ground. Apparently the contamination had managed to seep its way into things; that meant, if things got worse, the System very well might crash.  
  
"I don't have TIME for this!" Frank yelled, and decided to step up to the plate and be a man. Something that Marge said he never had the balls to do. He stomped toward the creature, meeting it halfway. An instant later, his fist connected solidly with the thing's solid chin.  
  
The thing bit into the prey's fist.  
  
Frank yelped, feeling the teeth penetrate his fist. He then did the only thing he could think of; he smashed the piece of concrete into the creature's muscular chest with as much force as he could muster.  
  
PAIN. PAIN. PAIN- Agony was the only thing that registered inside the monster’s mind for a moment.  
  
Teeth dislodged from the prey, and the creature stumbled in a stupor. Then there was a brief moment of clarity. The creature clawed at its head, emitting strangled snarls and chokes. It yelled in a deformed voice.  
  
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"  
  
Frank stumbled backward, clutching his sore hand as he looked at the creature in mild surprise. It actually spoke, and it told him to get away from it. That meant it had some form of self-awareness, even within the contamination.   
  
So it really was trying to fight it, whatever was going on around here.  
  
Frank gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe he was doing this; he was probably insane. But he wasn't getting anywhere on his own, so...  
  
"I am trying to find my niece and nephew!" the User yelled, trying to get through the creature's processor. Assuming that pain somehow helped this creature see through its infected fog, he directed a solid kick at the thing's shin. "Listen to me!" Frank shouted. "Have you see Greg or Hannah?" Then he remembered something. Didn't these people recognize her by a different name, her Username? "Have you seen Starwell?"  
  
Hold on to it! Come on, hold on to it! Inside, the being thrashed, it fought, its code rejected the infection as much as it could. No avail, the contamination was too numerous. It wouldn't be able keep it together much longer...  
  
Starwell?  
  
The name rang through his consciousness. Yes. Yes he knew Starwell... The distraction was enough for the infection to come back in force. It destroyed his focus. The creature lashed back at the prey with its claws.  
  
Frank jumped backward, suddenly realizing that this had been a bad idea. He then jumped back again, staying out of reach of those swinging arms. Somehow he had no doubt that this brutish figure could snap him in two if it got a hold of him.  
  
The User looked around quickly; he managed to snatch another piece of cracked pavement up off the ground. Hoping to either knock the creature out or help it regain its senses, Frank took a step forward. He ducked another swing of its muscular arm, then he jumped up and smashed the crumbly chunk of concrete against the creature's skull.  
  
RIP. TEAR. HUNT. Nothing but viral instinct flashed through the being’s processor.  
  
The moment the concrete made contact, blackness swarmed the thing's vision. Legs went out, and then nothing.  
  
Frank stared down at the limp figure for a moment. Then he shook his head and ran off in a completely different direction.  
  
"That went well," he muttered under his breath as he went. Apparently he truly was on his own again, though... at this point maybe that was for the best.

0o0o0o0o0

Starwell quickly realized that she had no idea where she was going or what she was doing. Maybe it had been stupid to cut Bob off like that, but… well, he probably had enough to contend with in saving the city. She had to find her uncle and brother.  
  
When push came to shove… she supposed that her family was her responsibility. Her newfound friends would just have to fend for themselves for the time-being, at least until she could talk to Uncle Frank. Maybe he could figure out what to do to help.  
  
Somehow she ended up down in the sewers beneath the sector, mostly because another mob of infected binomes, accompanied by Numbers Five and Nine, started coming after her. She swore under her breath as she trudged through some kind of greenish sludge that stained her boots.  
  
Gizmo began to beep, but Starwell shushed it. “I don’t want to know what I’m walking through!” she said.  
  
Thankfully the sewers seemed to be mostly devoid of life, except for a null slithering around here or there. She was grateful when she could climb out of the sludge onto a ledge beside the flowing river of waste and discard. She sat down and leaned heavily against the wall, taking a moment to rest.  
  
A noise caught her attention, causing her to start. When she looked, she saw an infected binome climbing out of the sludge… and it had something in its mouth. It appeared to be chewing on something like a chew toy.  
  
Starwell grunted, shifting in discomfort. Why did she feel like she had an uncomfortable itch, like the kind you can’t scratch because you don’t know where it is?  
  
Gizmo began to beep and whir. “What?” Starwell said, and looked at the infected creature again. “My icon?”  
  
The creature bit down on it again. Starwell didn’t really feel much; it wasn’t like she was tied to it like everyone else in the System, after all. But it still had a connection to her, which apparently gave her that… uncomfortable feeling.  
  
She winced as it bit down on it again. “Hey, stop that!” She said, slowly moving toward the creature. “Just drop it!”  
  
It gazed up at her with its single, unblinking eye. It let out a growl, and it did drop the icon--then it lunged at her.  
  
Starwell screamed, staggering backward. “Gizmo!” she cried out, and the Keytool responded. It changed form into a giant boxing glove that extended from her arm and sent the binome flying into the river of sludge.  
  
“Thanks, Gizmo,” the User-Sprite said as she dashed forward and snatched up her icon. She gripped it firmly in hand as she proceeded to run down the walkway, ignoring the gasps and splutters behind her as the binome tried to get out of the sewer sludge.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Anna and George managed to acquire a couple of zip boards, which they used to maneuver about the city. It enabled them to avoid the infected people on the ground, although they had the added difficulty of avoiding ABC cars and infected CPU vehicles. Anna managed to establish communication with Bob through Cappaten, and they arranged a rendezvous on the outer edge of Kits Sector.  
  
“You sure you’re okay?” George asked, eyeing his wife with concern. She seemed steady on her feet for the moment, but her injury obviously pained her. There had been a couple of times when George feared she would fall off of her Zip Board.  
  
“I’m fine,” the female Guardian replied in a clipped tone. In truth she felt terrible, both mentally and physically, but she still had things to do.  
  
A short time later, Bob and Ray arrived on the Surf Board. “Quite a mess, isn’t it?” Ray remarked as they glanced upon the city again.  
  
“Who are you?” Bob asked, looking at the unfamiliar sprite.  
  
“I’m George Mount, Anna’s husband,” George introduced himself. “I came here to find my wife, and--”  
  
“You brought two more Users with you.” Anna’s mouth twisted in disapproval.  
  
“Frank is just looking for his niece,” George told her calmly. “The very girl you’ve been so obsessed about capturing and harming.”  
  
Anna placed a hand against her forehead, looking wary. “We’re not getting into this argument again,” she grumbled.  
  
“Look,” Bob said, “the important thing right now is to find the Users and figure out what to do next.” He never thought he’d ever be saying those exact words in his life… especially the plural. He scratched his head, momentarily wishing that Dot was her normal self. He could really use her help, along with the help of others.  
  
“I’d wager that we’re dealing with some kind of Web infection,” Ray mused thoughtfully.  
  
“Where do you get that idea?” George frowned.  
  
“I woke up after the chaos started, and my Web armor had kicked in,” Ray explained. “Usually it doesn’t unless I’m out in the Web.”  
  
“And Megabyte was out in the Web,” Bob mused thoughtfully, “so it is possible that the Web changed him.”  
  
“So your virus pet returned with a few tricks up his sleeve,” Anna muttered, folding her arms. “Maybe someday it’ll dawn on you people that when you play with fire, you’ll get burned.”  
  
“Might I remind you, lass, that you were the one who helped start all this by working with Megabyte?” Ray glared.  
  
“You--what?!” George stared at his wife in a mixture of horror, astonishment and disbelief.  
  
“We can worry about that later,” Bob spoke up. “The main thing we need to do is find the Users and see if we can find a way to reverse Megabyte’s infection.”  
  
“And how do you propose we do that?” Anna asked. “It’s a system-wide infection.”  
  
“I don’t know yet,” Bob sighed. “But we’ve got to try.”  
  
“Then what are we waiting here for?” Anna said.  
  
“Wait, you’re injured,” George sounded concerned. “You sure you’re up for this?”  
  
Bob eyed the female Guardian for a moment. He’d noticed that she was faltering a bit when he first saw her. He knew that despite everything she’d done or tried to do… he couldn’t go against his code, and they could use her help. He simply wouldn’t trust her too much.  
  
“Anna,” he said, “give me your icon.” He extended his hand.  
  
Anna scowled at him, as if uncertain. But then she grabbed its edges, gave it a little twist, and placed it in his palm.  
  
Bob used his free hand to take his own Icon from his chest, and he lined the two disks so that they were back-to-back. “Mend code,” he commanded, and a soft glow passed between the two icons. He then nodded slightly, and handed Anna her Icon back and placed his own back on his chest.  
  
Anna’s Icon re-attached itself to her bitmap and she tapped it twice. A shimmer of light passed over her as her damaged code was repaired. She breathed in a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Guardian,” she muttered, sounding somewhere between annoyed and grateful. She didn’t like to rely on others for assistance… especially someone with ideals she strongly disagreed with.  
  
“Alright,” Bob said, getting back to business, “the first thing we should do is find Starwell.”  
  
“How do you propose we do that?” Ray asked.  
  
“Simple,” Bob said, and raised his arm to his face. “Glitch,” he said, “scan system; locate Alpha Starwell’s PID.” It was easier to do this from within the Principal Office; Glitch wasn’t exactly designed to track an elusive PID, but the Keytool could detect one if it happened to be close by. Besides, Starwell might be a little easier to scan for in this case, considering she was a User. Her icon and registry made it easier to pinpoint her.  
  
Glitch ran a scan, and after a few nanos it pinpointed the girl’s location.   
  
“Found her,” Bob announced.  
  
“Where is she?” Ray asked.  
  
“She’s… in the sewer?” Bob blinked.  
  
Bob, Ray, Anna and George quickly agreed that they could cover more ground if they split up... but it was a bad idea to be completely alone.   
  
“We'll go in pairs," Bob said. "Ray and I will find Starwell."  
  
"What do you want us to do?" George asked, since they were more or less dedicated to helping, at least for now.  
  
"See if you can find the other Users," Bob said. "If Starwell's Uncle has the knowledge and powers of a User that I think he does... he may be able to help us find a way to reverse this." He indicated the infected city with his arm.  
  
Anna barked a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, right. As if a User would be willing to help you."  
  
"You got a better idea?" Ray asked.  
  
Anna pursed her lips. "Not really."  
  
"We'll keep in touch with our Keytools," Bob told Anna. "And listen, I know how you feel about Users, but just remember we need their help."  
  
"Don't worry, Guardian," Anna sighed, folding her arms. "I've already made the kid a promise. I won't do anything... for now."  
  
If he’d had the time, Bob might have inquired just what kind of promise she was talking about. Instead, he merely nodded and accepted this for now. “Alright, let’s move out.”


	76. Chapter 76

Starwell relied heavily on Gizmo to get her out of the sewer; she had no idea where she was going. It revealed a map to her of the sewer tunnels, and it indicated which way she should go at every turn.  
  
Eventually she neared the correct tunnel that would lead outside. She smiled, exhaling in relief as she took one more turn--  
  
Then her foot caught on something on the floor. She fell forward, flat on her face; her icon, which she'd forgotten to pin her to bitmap, flew from her hand and rolled across the ground several meters.  
  
She glanced up, noticing that it had rolled right up to someone... somebody who was coming toward her. The individual, who thankfully wasn't covered in Infection, bent down to pick it up.   
  
"Bob!" she exclaimed in relief. Then she noticed who stood behind the Guardian, wearing some kind of armor and carrying his surf board under his arm. "Ray! Oh my God!"  
  
Bob gave the icon a bit of a shine. He rubbed it on his Guardian Uniform, and looked up to find Starwell. He couldn't help but feel relieved.  
  
"You really need to keep up with this," He said, and he held out his free hand. Starwell smiled up at him and took his hand; he pulled her up to her feet.  
  
"Sewers aren't the first place I'd wanna be in," said Ray, "They were already swarming with something un-cyber-like. Where in the Net did you go?"  
  
Starwell took the icon and pinned it onto her Bitmap before she forgot again. Gizmo chirped.  
  
"Well..." Starwell sighed. "First I was with Anna, then we got split up, then I ended up finding my brother and I found out Uncle Frank is around somewhere, too, and..." She stopped talking. She was getting flustered. "I don't know, I guess one thing just lead to another. I came down here to get away from some of those Infected people," she said with a shrug. "But I've gotta find Greg and Uncle Frank! What if they get hurt?"  
  
"Shouldn't worry about that, little lady, we're looking for them," said Ray.  
  
"You should stick with us," said Bob, "I don't like the idea of anyone else wandering around at the moment."  
  
"Yeah, okay," Starwell nodded. "Um... where did Anna end up? Did you guys find her?" She wasn't sure why she was so concerned about the female Guardian, considering all that she'd caused and tried to do to Starwell herself.  
  
But still... she cared about Anna in a way. Starwell had caused her enough pain when she played games on her Uncle's computer. Maybe in a strange way... they were now even, and the score would be settled after their... duel, if they were still on for that.  
  
"She's looking for your Uncle," said Bob.  
  
Starwell made a face. "Is that really a good idea?" Considering how much Anna hated her, what was she going to think of the creator of the conversion device?  
  
"Don't worry about that," Ray said, "She's got someone with her to keep it straight. She won't be pulling anything." We hope, the Surfer added mentally.  
  
Gizmo beeped, urging them to get moving. Starwell glanced at her Keytool, and she began to walk, staying close to Bob as she moved. "Oh yeah?" she said as she glanced at Ray. "Who?"  
  
"What is it?" asked Bob.  
  
"Gizmo says he senses someone just above us," Starwell said. They reached the lower rungs of the ladder that would lead them up and out of the sewer; she grabbed hold of it. "I just want to take a look."  
  
"I'll go up first," said Ray, "Who knows what's up there?"  
  
Ray couldn't hid his smile. For everything going on, he didn't like being in such a closed space like the sewers. He wanted to stretch out at least, and he could have this opportunity to do that.  
  
Starwell glanced at the Surfer, and then stepped back away from the ladder. "Okay," she said with a reluctant nod.   
  
As Ray began to climb up the ladder, awkwardly carrying his Surf Board with him, Starwell frowned at her Keytool. "What are you going on about?" she asked Gizmo as it continued to beep and whir.  
  
Then she realized it wasn't talking to her. It was talking to Glitch; she only caught bits and snatches of what was being said. Something about... how Gizmo had encountered Cappaten after it left Anna, and had convinced it to return to its Guardian? And Gizmo wanted Glitch's opinion on the matter?  
  
It was open, empty and it was quiet.  
  
Ray had gone through many systems in his life. He'd been to both failing systems, utopian, even to the Supercomputer, once. Out of his experience, a quiet like this was very unnerving. A failing system would have noise, a lot of it background, stranger systems would have other things. A system was never quiet. But this... This was a deathly silence.  
  
When he was about to call back down to Bob and Starwell, something slithered. He jerked his head around. He couldn't tell which sector this was exactly, and the fact that there was no virals around had him nearly paranoid. Then the slithering came again.  
  
He found what it was. And he wished he hadn't looked. The thing looked like a mockery of a Web Creature, and that only added to the horror. It was a bulbous mass of writhing tentacles, mostly made out of binomes. Still living, infected binomes. The thing was damned quiet, and damned fast.   
  
Ray didn't even have time to shout as one of those tentacle wrapped around him. It dislodged his grip on his board, which tumbled back into the sewers, and he felt the pain of its impact.  
  
Starwell nearly jumped out of her bitmap when the Surf Board crashed next to her, missing her by inches. She stared upward, gasping in horror when she realized something had happened to the surfer. "RAY!" she screamed. Gizmo ceased its chatter with Bob's Keytool as she made a dash for the ladder.  
  
"Wait a nano! Starwell!" Bob grasped her shoulder to make her stop.  
  
Starwell cast him an annoyed look, trying to shrug out of his grasp; but his grip was too strong. "I'm not some little kid, I can help!" she said. "Besides, I have Gizmo!"  
  
Gizmo beeped. It seemed to affirm that, yes, it was there if Starwell needed her... but she really shouldn't throw herself into risky situations.  
  
"Come on, not you too!" she growled at it in annoyance. Gizmo made a razzing sound.  
  
"I like making it up as I go along as much as the next sprite, but this isn't the time nor the place," said Bob. He took Ray's board, and carefully put in a way that it wouldn't hit anything.  
  
"Then what are we supposed to do?!" Starwell exclaimed. "Whatever grabbed him might get Greg and Uncle Frank! And what about Ray! He might be hurt or dead!" She was getting hysterical; Gizmo beeped at her, urging her to calm down and take a deep breath. "Shut up, you're not my mother!" Starwell snapped at it.  
  
"Starwell, breathe," said Bob, trying to calm her down, "In and out the input, in and out the input. We aren't helping Ray if we lose it here."  
  
Starwell closed her eyes and focused on her breathing for a moment. "Okay," she said in a calmer tone after a nano or two. "But... what're we gonna do? We can't just stay here."  
  
"No. No we can't." Bob looked up at the open in the sewer roof, "I'll go first. If anything, me and Glitch can do-" Glitch made a series of clicks. Bob looked at the Keytool, "Hello? You found him?"  
  
Distantly, Bob couldn't help but hear a sudden silence. The normal sloshing and dripping of the sewers became echoes like if they were in an empty area rather than a sewer.  
  
Starwell was glancing around the sewers. Part of her mind noticed the silence, but she was more focused on what Bob was doing. "Is that Anna?" she asked quietly, hearing a voice coming from Glitch.  
  
Bob paused, and looked up at Starwell, gave a nod to her question.   
  
Something slithered in the background.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Frank had absolutely no idea where he was going, and absolutely no guide. He didn't know where anybody was, and most of the random inhabitants he encountered were infected, so that meant he was lost in a strange System and he had no way of finding anyone. If it had been normal and uninfected like his own computer, he could have asked someone for directions, or even had better luck in finding a couple of teenagers running about.  
  
This was obviously going to take a lot longer than he'd hoped it would. He simply hoped he would have to spend the rest of his life trying to find his niece and nephew. He did the only thing he could do; he kept his wits about him, and tried to begin a more organized search instead of aimless roaming.  
  
Maybe, hopefully, eventually... he would find someone.   
  
Frank eventually heard a sound from overhead. It sounded like two people having an argument. He ducked behind cover and tried to listen to the sound. Yes, it was definitely two people talking... and they were speaking coherently, it was not the sound of infected binomes snarling or hissing.  
  
It sounded like a woman was speaking... to a man who had a very familiar voice...  
  
"George?" Frank crawled out from behind the fallen pillar and stood. Sure enough, there was George, flying on a zip board and speaking to someone who flew alongside him... his wife, maybe?  
  
"George!" Frank shouted and waved his arms. "Over here!"  
  
Both of the sprites stopped and looked. "Frank!" George called out, and immediately zipped toward the User and floated down to the ground.  
  
The woman was right behind him; she glared, and she definitely looked like someone who had a chip on her shoulder. "So," she said as she stepped off of her Zip Board, "this is the Frank who invented that hardware that can bring Users into the Net."  
  
"ANNA!" George forcefully grabbed his wife's wrists before she could slug the User. "Stop it!"   
  
Anna seethed, wrenching her wrists in an attempt to free them from George's grasp, but her husband held firm. "Just let me at him," she growled. "Just one good smack to the head and I'll be satisfied!”  
  
"Anna!" George pushed his wife back, putting himself between her and Frank. "This isn't helping anything!" He released her wrists and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders, giving her a little shake. "Listen to me! This isn't the time or the place. You gotta keep a clear processor, you hear me? Attacking Frank isn't going to help anything."  
  
Anna glared past him, glaring at Frank. Briefly, her eyes met with those of the User.  
  
In spite of himself, Frank flinched. There was only one place that he'd ever seen eyes that could be that simultaneously icy cold and filled with loathing at the same time. It was the same look that his own wife, Marge, gave him nearly every night.  
  
So Georgie married a self-righteous cow, too, Frank thought without amusement. Except this woman at least has good looks. George my boy, you at least lucked out in that way. Maybe a pretty face and an hour-glass figure could make up for the bitchy attitude.  
  
In Frank's case, well... he was married to a fat, ugly, bull-legged cow who somehow lost her good figure after she got out of high school. This was not the first time he asked himself just what he had seen in that woman in the first place.  
  
But now wasn't the time to ponder that.  
  
In spite of himself, though, Frank grinned slightly. "Hey, if it'll make the pretty lady feel better, she could take a swing at me if she wants to."  
  
George gave him a look. Frank shrugged. Considering Anna's size--she was smaller and more slender than both of them--how hard could she possibly hit? There were worse things than being slapped by a pretty girl.  
  
Anna tore herself away from George, ignoring his protests as she marched toward the User. "As you wish." Anna walked up to Frank until she was toe-to-toe with him and her icy, hate-filled eyes bored into his. Then she grinned evilly.  
  
The next thing Frank knew he was flat on his back and his jaw felt like it was on fire.  
  
Anna flexed her hand; it hurt. "Worth it," she sneered.  
  
"I can't believe you did that!" George snapped. He sighed and rolled his eyes. “No, actually I can.” He knelt down beside Frank. "Hey, are you okay?"  
  
Frank reached up and touched his jaw. It was extremely tender, especially to the touch. "What did you marry, a water buffalo?" he muttered.  
  
George grasped Frank's arm and hauled the User to his feet, ignoring Anna’s glance of disapproval. Frank grimaced, still fingering the sore spot on his face. George then stamped over to his wife and said to her, "I hope you're happy. You don't need to go around punching out Users."  
  
"Why not? I do it all the time in games." Anna folded her arms and smirked at Frank. "For once, I could actually hit the real thing."  
  
George rolled his eyes. "Just behave yourself from now on."  
  
"Oh, I won’t touch him again… for now," Anna said simply. "Come on, we should find Bob." She looked at her Keytool. "Cappaten, get me Guardian 452," she commanded, and then spoke into the window on the Keytool. "You there, Guardian? Good news; I found one of your Users. Starwell's Uncle Frank, to be specific."  
  
Anna listened to Bob’s reply, then nodded at her Keytool. "Yeah, Frank is with George and I right now. Should we try to find the other kid, or should we rendezvous somewhere?"  
  
"I have Starwell here, you'll want to find her brother next," the Guardian replied on the other end.  
  
Anna grunted. "I figured you probably found her. You're at least that competent. Tell the girl her Uncle is fine if it makes her feel better... oh, except for a very sore jaw." She flexed her fingers. "Courtesy of me."  
  
Off to the side, George gave her a look. Of course Anna had to be an instigator, especially when it involved people she didn't like.  
  
"The woman has iron fists," Frank muttered. He wondered if this realm had anything resembling ice... even if now wasn't the time to look for it.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Right, call me back up when you find him." Bob let the connection end, he looked up to Starwell, "Your Uncle's fine, they're going to be-"  
  
Bob bit his tongue as he was suddenly jerked up by a grotesque tentacle. It had wrapped around his neck, and had been so quick as to not even alert him. It had attempted to pull him from the sewer, but hadn't accounted on him grasping on to the sewer ladder. He was lucky that the stop didn't break his neck, but black spots were starting to fill his eyes and he wasn't sure how long his grip on the ladder would hold.  
  
Starwell screamed, taking a couple of steps back. It took a sharp beep from Gizmo to get her to snap out of her sudden panic. "Uh... Gizmo," she said, thinking quickly, "we gotta help--can you cut that thing or something?!"  
  
Gizmo flew from her arm, changing shape into a flat disk that contained saw-like teeth all around. It spun on its own axis and sliced into the tentacle, near Bob's neck.  
  
The tentacle came off. Bob fell, and hit the floor hard. A horrible shriek was heard, which made the once unnatural silence all the more desirable. Bob was finding it difficult to keep his eyes open.  
  
Gizmo returned to Starwell's arm; she got down into a crouch, trying to stay low. She went to Bob's side. "Bob? Bob! Are you okay?"  
  
Bob gasped and grasped at his neck. he cracked it once. "I-I'm fine," He gave a shaking smile, "Just surprised. That's- GET DOWN!" Bob grabbed hold of Starwell, and he forced both of them to the side. A larger tentacle pierced into the wall where they had been previously.  
  
Starwell screamed. "GIZMO!" she yelled. "Uh... Anything!" She expected the Keytool to attack the tendril again, but it didn't. Instead it flew from her arm and zipped upward, out of the sewers... it was going after the heart of the beast!  
  
"Gizmo! What are you doing?!" Starwell tried to move, but Bob held onto her. Above their heads, the beast was starting to shriek, even more loudly than before.  
  
And then silence.  
  
It was deafening.


	77. Chapter 77

Starwell sat up, and Bob finally released her. She didn't move, she barely even breathed. "What happened?" she asked Bob, even though he didn't seem to know either.  
  
Then Gizmo returned--actually, it fell down from above, and clattered on the floor. "Gizmo?" Starwell got up and walked over to it. She then picked it up. "Oh no... I think Gizmo's broken!"  
  
"Let me take a look at it," said Bob.  
  
In the background, something slithered.  
  
Starwell looked reluctant. "Um, okay," she said, tentatively turning toward Bob. Gizmo hissed. It didn’t like the idea of being examined. "Oh settle down, Bob knows something about Keytools... maybe he can fix you," Starwell said, and held it out to Bob.  
  
If Keytools could sigh in resignation, Gizmo did. "Glitch, scan." Gizmo had minor damage, nothing that couldn't be fixed quick. "Glitch, repair." An orange-gold light appeared, flowing over Gizmo’s damaged form.  
  
And then the tentacles came down. They came down from behind Starwell; this time, they grabbed her. They wrapped around her entire body and began to lift her upward, out of the sewer. Starwell's scream was cut off when a tendril slithered around her throat and face; she was dangerously close to being smothered and choked.  
  
"Starwell!" Bob yelled, as he was pulled out the sewers. Seeing the creature with his own eyes, he half thought that remaining sewers might not have been a bad idea after all. Bob noticed something. A hand, a sprite's hand, was sticking out of one of the larger tentacles. The hand had a Web creature theme to it...  
  
... By the Net. This Thing was going to absorb them.  
  
Starwell squirmed, trying to struggle out of the thing's grasp.   
  
Gizmo fell from Bob's grip and clattered on the ground again. Thankfully Glitch had managed to complete the repair, just barely, before the attack began. Gizmo whirred, and it made an attempt to return to Starwell.  
  
It only bounced off of the tendrils as the User-sprite became more entangled in its grip. Gizmo shrieked, momentarily uncertain what to do; it hovered near Starwell's captured form.  
  
At the edge of Bob's vision, Ray's hand disappeared.  
  
And then something zoomed by. Starwell landed on the ground with severed tentacles. Caused by Ray's unmanned surf board.  
  
Starwell gasped and coughed, she clutched at her throat, trying desperately to catch her breath.  
  
Gizmo returned to her, beeping. It returned to her arm and beeped again.  
  
Starwell looked up. She tried to speak, to say something, anything, but only ended up coughing. She rubbed her throat.  
  
Bob hit the ground with a squelching sound as he crushed the lifeless tentacles. The Thing began to roar, with its multiple binome mouths. It didn't start like a real roar, but more like a ringing. A ringing that got louder and louder until there was nothing but the ringing.   
  
Bob couldn't hear anything.

Starwell gagged, pushing herself up into a sitting position. She propped herself next to the wall. "Gizmo," she choked, "whatever you did before... do it again. With more intensity. Give it all you got!" Gizmo protested argumentatively. It wanted to obey in order to help keep her safe, but it had no interest in damaging itself again. "Please," Starwell gasped. "Take that thing down. Kill it, knock it out, whatever... do it!"  
  
Gizmo beeped, and then it was off once again. It hesitated, facing Starwell again. It then released a series of beeps, giving her a final message in case it did not return. Starwell closed her eyes. "I love you, too," she murmured. "You've been a good friend.” Gizmo clicked, then it changed shape into a form like pure energy; it vanished into the heart of the monster.  
  
The entire creature began to glow in an eerie, silver light. The point of light emanated from the area where Gizmo's altered form penetrated the creature, and it grew until engulfed the entire form.  
  
As Starwell and Bob watched, the entire creature began to dissolve under Gizmo's intense power. The source of web-based creature melted away as each of the captured binomes were separated from it; they dropped to the ground, dazed.  
  
When the task was finally complete, a silvery white light continued to glow above their heads. The silver color within the light extracted itself, leaving behind the white light that quickly winked out of existence; the basis for the creature was no more.  
  
The silver light shrunk and returned to its true form; Gizmo. The Keytool flew back toward Starwell, and faltered. It landed at her feet.  
  
She bent down and carefully picked it up. It was bent and dented in an odd way; obviously, this endeavor had taken a lot out of it and damaged it severely. It could barely click or whir at her. "Oh, Gizmo..." she whispered.  
  
Bob had no time to repair Gizmo. The infected around them were beginning to become livid. "Starwell! We need to move!"  
  
Ray's board flew in front of the two, in willingness to be their transportation away.  
  
Starwell groaned out loud, hating the idea of flying. She still had vivid memories of plastering her face against the side of a building when she tried to ride on a Zip Board. But... this thing at least looked more stable. Sort of.  
  
Besides, she didn't exactly have a choice, and she didn't have time to think about it. She placed Gizmo back on her arm and stepped up onto the Surf Board, wobbling a little as she sought her balance.  
  
Bob joined her on the Board. It moved, and sailed off, and into the sky of Mainframe.   
  
It was a horror to see the entire city. Infection had spread, and pockets of sectors were covered in what looked bloated and purple flesh. Mainframe stuck out against the Energy Sea, as it seems the infection could go no further past pure energy.  
  
Starwell stared at the scene in horror. How could the beautiful city of Mainframe have become so distorted, so contaminated and ugly? Was it ever going to be the same again? Could it ever go back to normal?  
  
"Bob..." She was clinging to him with one of her hands, not wanting to fall off. But she pressed her other hand against her mouth. Tears of anger and anguish streamed down her cheeks at the sight of all this.  
  
"Bob," she said in a strangled voice, "my Uncle... he's really good at fixing Systems. Maybe he can help fix this!"  
  
"Yeah..." Bob grimaced, "So am I. I need to find Megabyte."  
  
"How?" Starwell asked. "I mean, where is he right now?"  
  
"I don't know..."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Did you hear something?" Frank stopped and craned his neck, glancing behind them.  
  
"No," Anna snipped, a bit too dismissively. Then again, she seemed quick to dismiss anything the User said. She was barely tolerating his presence as it was.  
  
The three of them were currently hoofing it, especially since there were only two Zip Boards and they agreed not to split up. That slowed down their progress a bit, but Anna was having Cappaten run a continuous scan for any sign of another User. Though it was difficult to scan for anyone who didn't have a PID.  
  
"I think I heard something, too," George said.  
  
Anna spared him a glance. "Like what?" she asked. Cappaten beeped, and a red dot appeared on its scanner. "Hmm," she purred, "we may be being followed by something..."  
  
"Told you," Frank said. "Maybe you should listen to me."  
  
"How'd you like a dented nose to keep your bruised jaw company?"  
  
"Anna!" George glared.   
  
Sorry, Anna mouthed for his benefit, then she rolled her eyes.   
  
Suddenly, the female Guardian froze and held up a hand. "Don't move, either of you." Anna narrowed her eyes, carefully looking about in each direction. She eyed the shadows carefully.  
  
"What is it?" George asked.  
  
"Shhh." Anna held up her index digit. A nano or two passed, and then she said, "I hear something coming."  
  
Frank tensed. "Where?" he asked, looking about.  
  
"Just be ready." Anna held her Keytool at the ready.  
  
After a moment of listening, Anna suddenly moved. She sprinted a short distance down the street and held out her left arm, like Cappaten was a weapon extension on it.   
  
She was greeted by a scream. A high-pitched scream that might have sounded like a little girl, except for the cracking that came with puberty. A boy with black hair stood there, apparently clutching something in his hand, staring at her with widened eyes.  
  
Anna studied him for a long moment, as the others came running. "Tell me your name, boy,” she demanded.  
  
"Greg!" Frank rushed toward his nephew, relieved that both of the kids had now been found. He placed his hands on the boy's shoulder. "Are you okay?"  
  
Greg swallowed. "Uh, yeah," he grunted. "Except this place is really, really freaky."  
  
Frank gave the boy's shoulders a squeeze, and then looked back at Anna and George.  
  
"Glad we found him," George commented with obvious relief.  
  
Frank nodded curtly. "Let's find my niece," he said.  
  
Greg's fingers tightly encircled the greenish disk in his hand, keeping it out of sight. He wasn't sure why, but something told him to keep it out of sight. Maybe he simply liked games that involved secrets, or perhaps it was because he remembered what Megabyte had said about the identity thief being a master manipulator. Would these people understand if he tried to tell them? Would Uncle Frank understand?  
  
Greg wasn't even sure yet. Who knows, if they were leaving soon, he might not even get the chance to finish this little mission. He carefully slipped the Icon into his pocket, out of sight.  
  
Nobody else was paying close attention to him at the moment anyway. Frank still had his hand on Greg's shoulder, but he was looking at the others. Everybody was also keeping an eye on their surroundings, considering the infected state of the system.  
  
"You'd better contact Bob," George told Anna.  
  
Greg's eyes flew wide. "Bob?" he exclaimed.  
  
"Bob is another Guardian, he found your sister," George explained.  
  
"Then we gotta get to him!" Greg said. Maybe this would be almost too easy. If they had to go to Bob anyway... then he could just slip over and slap the Icon thing onto Bob's chest when nobody was looking. Problem solved, and then everybody could go home, right?  
  
"I agree," George nodded.  
  
Anna was already speaking into her Keytool. "Cappaten, get me Guardian 452." A moment of silence passed. "Bob," she said, "we've found the other kid. All Users now accounted for, as long as you still have Starwell. What is your status, Guardian?"  
  
"Anna, Ray and I are good at the moment, send me your position,” Bob spoke through Glitch.  
  
"Let's arrange a rendezvous," Anna replied over the link. "How about if we meet near the Principal Office?" That was the one location that everyone in Mainframe knew.  
  
"Alright, see you there. Stay Frosty."  
  
Anna nodded, mostly to herself, and lowered her arm. "Let's go, troops," she said.  
  
"We'll cover more ground if we use Zip Boards," George pointed out.  
  
"We have only two Zip Boards," Anna glared.  
  
George considered this for a moment. "Decompress your Zip Board," he instructed, as he did so with his own.  
  
Anna frowned, but complied. "What, are two of us going on ahead and while the other two follow?"   
  
"Nope." George turned to Frank. "You know how to fly one of these things... right?"  
  
Frank blinked. "Not really," he said.  
  
"Well, you're a bit big for any of us to carry, so..." George matter-of-factly swept Anna off of her feet, scooping her into his arms. He rolled his eyes at her protests. "Anna," he said, "this is the only way that this'll work quickly. I carry you on one zip board, Frank carries the kid on the other."  
  
"I don't want to be carried! I'm not a baby!" Greg folded his arms.  
  
Frank sighed. "I hope I don't fall flat on my face..." He tentatively stepped onto the zip board. It responded to his weight and movements; he gritted his teeth, thinking back to the days when he first learned to ride a bike.  
  
"We need to get going," George said in a commanding tone.   
  
"I don't like this--HEY!" Greg squirmed when Frank picked him up.  
  
"Stop moving around so much," Frank grumbled. "Or I'm going to drop you." When Frank maneuvered a few meters above the ground... one look at the ground was enough to make Greg cease all movement. He froze, his face turning white.  
  
"You're getting the hang of it," George called out, joining Frank in the sky. Anna was giving everyone dirty looks, but she made no protest or struggle.  
  
"Thanks, I guess," Frank said.  
  
"Come on, the Principal Office is that way," George indicated a direction with a tilt of his head.  
  
After a while though, George and Frank ended up abandoning the idea of using zip boards for two reasons. The first reason was because Frank was having difficulty maneuvering and maintaining his balance, especially with Greg occasionally freaking out and flinching every time a web-like creature flew by. The second reason was because George kept watching the Users instead of watching where he was going, fearful that they might fall--and he nearly crashed into the side of a building.  
  
Since neither Greg nor Anna wanted to be dropped, George was too distracted, and Frank couldn't fly... they decided to try a different method of transport.  
  
They came across a car that wasn't too badly contaminated with infection. George began to try and hotwire it, but Anna shook her head and used Cappaten as an interface to start it up.  
  
Anna hopped into the driver's seat, George took a seat next to her, and the Users took the back seats.  
  
"Now this is more like it!" Greg exclaimed as they began to go... until he realized that the car was flying. "Oh my God... does everything fly in this place?!"  
  
"Shut up, kid," Anna growled. "We'll be at the Principal's Office in a nano."


	78. Chapter 78

Bob turned to Starwell, "They've found your brother, we should be on our way to the Principal's Office." He looked at the surf board, "You got that Ray?"  
  
The board made a small beep sound, and then shifted direction.  
  
"Oh good," Starwell said with relief. Her brother annoyed the hell out of her sometimes, but... she knew she would never forgive herself if anything bad had happened to him. Still, she might punch him in the shoulder or something when she saw him again. That was just their way of interacting and showing affection... sometimes anyway.  
  
"How come Ray's not coming out?" Starwell asked as she and Bob began to ride toward the Principal Office.  
  
"He's probably very injured," said Bob, as the Principal Office grew in view, "The Board is technically Ray too, but it doesn't go into Standby when the sprite is injured. In truth, the sprite that is Ray is more of a Projection than an actual sprite. Search Engines, especially the new ones, are hard to explain."  
  
The surf-board beeped in protest.  
  
"Sorry, but you aren't exactly 'Up' to explain it all."  
  
Starwell eyed the Board with a newfound interest... and respect. "Wow, that makes it sound like Ray is some kind of hologram or something," she said out loud.  
  
She glanced at the Principal Office in the distance, then she gave Bob a thoughtful look. "You know..." She sighed and looked a little sheepish. "In some ways I still can't believe any of this. I mean, I have to... because I've been here for a while now. But um..." She sighed. "I'm just saying that my friends back home will never, ever believe any of this. I don't even know why we haven't heard of you guys before."  
  
"You think you're the only one? I hardly believe it."  
  
Suddenly, there was another sprite between Bob and Starwell. The sprite looked horrible, as if the infection had taken some toll, but still left them with lucidity. Their bitmap had turned dark, sharp angled plates had formed on their joints, their hands looked like they were partially gloved by scaled claws. The worst part, was that the face was still recognizably sprite like, despite the mismatch appearance of small black scales.  
  
Bob said something in Web-Rider, which could have been along the lines of either calling out the Net, or cursing, he looked at the new comer, "Ray... You look..."  
  
Ray Tracer gave a small, if maybe forced and painful, smirk, "It just looks bad. You shouldn't worry about me."  
  
Starwell shuddered at the sight of the sprite. He looked sick, or mutated. "Do you feel okay?" she asked him.  
  
"I'm fine. I guess," Ray shrugged, "I think being in my board might have sped my infection up a bit, but I'm alright."  
  
Before Starwell could say anything, a flying car came into view. It had a few very familiar-looking figures inside of it.  
  
Upon spotting the trio on the surf board, the car swerved and moved toward them on an approach vector. Both groups stopped and hovered in mid-air once they were close enough to each other to speak.  
  
"Hannah?" Frank half-rose from his car seat, though he hesitated as though not wanting to jostle the car too much.  
  
"Uncle Frank!" Starwell breathed. "Oh my God, oh my God! You really are here!"  
  
Frank took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. If he had been just a bit closer to her, he would have hugged her. "Hannah..." He looked at her with a severe expression, somewhere between sheer relief and anger.  
  
"I know..." Hannah gulped and hung her head. "I wasn't supposed to touch your computer."  
  
Frank pressed his lips together in a thin line, and sighed. "We'll talk about that when we get home," he said simply.  
  
Anna practically growled. "No one is going anywhere while this Infection is going on," she snapped.  
  
Frank glared at her. "This is not my problem," he stated firmly. "I'm getting my family out of here and out of the Net before anything else happens."  
  
Starwell stared at him in shock and horror. "But Uncle Frank! You have to help them!"  
  
"Hannah, shut up," Greg said. "Let's just get out of here!"  
  
Anna glared severely at both Frank and Greg behind her. "How typical of Users. You either create problems or you do nothing except leave messes behind in your wake." She looked like she wanted to hit Frank again.  
  
Bob let out a breath, and then he looked up, "I imagine that this infection could spread to other systems if a portal is active long enough. I know you want to keep your family safe, but I can't allow any portals to open up. This may spread to other systems, or worse, go to where you and your family resides. We need help in this matter."  
  
Frank seemed to consider this carefully for a moment. If he had not personally come into the Net and seen these people, his normal advice (at least to his fellow Users) would be to update their Anti-Virus Software, maybe re-install Windows or reformat the hard-drive if the infection was too deep.  
  
But now... could he really turn aside a plea for help?   
  
He closed his eyes briefly, and sighed. "The Anti-Viral software and security on my system is very good, state-of-the-art," he finally said. "Plus I have other safeguards in place, too."  
  
"Are you saying you still won't help?" Starwell demanded, her plea-filled eyes becoming angry.  
  
"I came here to get you out of here," Frank said firmly. "It's not safe here, and I'm getting you and your brother out of here." For the moment, he had no choice but to think about the kids whom he was responsible for. Not to mention the future of his position at the company he worked for. If he failed to get the kids back to the real world… Well, the wrath of his wife (not to mention the kids’ parents) would be the least of his worries.  
  
"No!" Starwell grabbed Ray's arm, almost clinging to him. "I'm not going! Not until you agree to help!"  
  
"Hannah," Frank said with authority, "it's my fault you're in this System in the first place. I should have guarded my equipment better." There, he finally admitted it.   
  
The oldest User then looked directly at Bob. "I am taking my family out of here. Now." Frank spoke in the kind of tone that allowed no argument.  
  
Greg was staring openly at Bob. His hand slowly slipped into his pocket, where the Icon was. Would he get his chance soon, to help Megabyte?  
  
"And what makes you think you can leave?" Ray snarled, "Last time I checked, nothing is running here. I doubt you can just pop up a portal!"  
  
Ray moved the Board closer to the car, nearly upsetting Bob and Starwell's balance.  
  
"Ray?!" Bob said, holding on to his footing.  
  
"You listen here, mate," growled Ray, "If you want to go, then I suggest you jump into the Energy Sea. If anything, we can make by with your niece since she's been doing more good than you have."  
  
"Ray, what's gotten into you?!" Bob said, but he was unheard. Ray was too laid back, almost too understanding of things just to get angry. Was the infection affecting him more than they had thought...?  
  
Greg let out a yelp at the infected sprite's sudden close proximity. Frank's eyes widened a bit.   
  
Anna's temper flared even more, as if fueled by Ray's words. "Who needs the Energy Sea?" she remarked. "He doesn't want to be useful, let's see how well he does if we toss him out of the car."  
  
"Anna! Ray!" George stood and positioned his body between the front seats. He placed one hand on Anna's shoulder and stretched his other arm in front of Ray, as if trying to keep the violent tempers away from Frank. "This isn't going to solve anything. Everybody just relax."  
  
Anna scowled. She brushed her husband's hand off of her shoulder in a passive-aggressive manner, but said nothing. Frank inhaled deeply and let it out slowly.  
  
"Come on, Uncle Frank," Starwell pleaded again. She eyed Ray with concern for a moment, then she looked at her Uncle again. "Can't you help, please? These people are my friends! They saved my life and everything!"  
  
Frank gave her a long, stern look, but then his gaze softened. Maybe this place was getting to him. Perhaps he was responding more to a "fight or flight" instinct in humans, and he wanted nothing more than to get out of here with the kids.  
  
"I can't," he finally said. "In case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have my keyboard and mouse with me right now. I don't even know how to access Command Prompt from in here."  
  
"But you can try to find a way, can't you?" Starwell persisted.  
  
“Even if I could get in," Frank growled, "it might not be that easy. I'm not this system's prime User; he or she might have restricted access to un-authorized Users. It could be tricky, especially if I can't obtain permissions to access the deeper levels."  
  
Greg had the icon in hand; he slowly sat up straighter, eyeing Bob intently. The blue-skinned sprite was much closer than he had been, but... Frank and George were still in the way.  
  
Bob put a hand on Ray's shoulder, and then said, "There's always the Archives."  
  
Ray clenched his teeth. He didn't understand why he felt so angry, a blaring feeling at the back of his mind wanted to tear the car apart and leave everyone for dead. What was wrong with him?  
  
"Archives?" Frank asked, looking thoughtful. "Is that where your system's registry and root commands can be accessed?"  
  
"Who cares about all this?" Greg demanded suddenly, standing up. "I just want to get out of here." His fingers tightened more securely around the Icon until the edges of the flat sphere cut into his digits. He eyed Bob again, wondering if he could just toss the Icon at him.  
  
"So do I," Frank stated firmly, "but that is not going to happen right away."  
  
"We're not solving anything like this," George spoke up. "Look, why don't we just head to the Archives, and then..." He shrugged. "See what Frank can do from there?"  
  
Bob squeezed Ray's shoulder, "We can do that." Ray let out a breath, and allowed the board to float back. Greg muttered something under his breath in annoyance as Bob moved further out of reach again.  
  
"Fine," Frank agreed reluctantly.  
  
George nodded, then he moved back and sat down in the seat beside Anna once again. Anna rolled her eyes and revved the engine.  
  
"Hold on," Frank said, holding up a hand. "I want my niece over with me." He indicated the space between himself and Greg; there appeared to be just enough room for one more person, especially one as slender as Hannah.  
  
"I'm fine out here, Uncle Frank," Starwell said.  
  
"Hannah, I want you where I can keep a close eye on you," Frank said. "Besides, I don't want you so close to him." He pointed at Ray.  
  
Starwell frowned, conflicted. She looked at Bob.   
  
"Its okay," Bob gave an assuring, though tired, smile, "We'll be close behind." Ray looked more than a little frustrated, but he shrugged. Starwell nodded. She waited until the surf board moved closer, then she took Frank's extended hand and stepped into the car. He helped her into the spot between himself and Greg.  
  
"Move over," Greg immediately complained, giving his sister a little shove.   
  
Starwell shoved him back. "This was why I wanted to stay on the surf board!" she snapped.  
  
"Stop it, both of you," Frank said sternly, silencing them both. He knew that they were all on edge, but now wasn't the time for a sibling squabble. He rubbed his temples warily; he jaw still hurt, and now he was getting a headache.  
  
"Hang on," Anna muttered, and put the car into full gear. They took off like a shot.  
  
They swooped down toward the Archives with Bob and Ray close behind on the Surf Board. It was an area located beneath the spherical building that was the Principal Office; the very center of Mainframe.  
  
"So how long is this gonna take?" Greg grumped as they drew ever closer.  
  
"As long as it takes," Frank sighed. He assumed that this would be one of those 'I scratch your back you scratch mine' situations. Once he fixed the System and helped the population, they would let himself and the teens leave. Besides... the internet would be safer with one less infection to worry about, he supposed.  
  
The car soon parked on the ground near the entrance to the Archives. Anna killed the engine, then she and George hopped out of the car.  
  
Frank was the last one to hop out. "I want both of you kids to stay here," he commanded both of them.  
  
"But Uncle Frank!" Hannah began to protest.  
  
Frank cut her off. "No," he said firmly. "You keep an eye on Greg and stay here. If you see anything strange, yell for me. Otherwise, I want both of you to stay put."  
  
George cleared his throat. "I can look after both of them as well," he offered.  
  
"Fine. Baby-sit the Users," Anna growled, walking up beside Frank. Then she blinked. "Actually that's probably a good idea," she said as an afterthought. "They're too dangerous to be left unattended." She then looked at Frank, making it clear that she planned to personally keep an eye on him.  
  
"Hey, I'm not a baby!" Greg shouted indignantly. "Why does everybody keep treating me like a little kid?"  
  
Hannah gave him a light punch in the shoulder. "Maybe because you keep acting like one, you brat."  
  
"Hey! You're only getting away with this because Mom and Dad aren't here!"  
  
"Have fun," Frank muttered to George, giving the sprite a pat on the shoulder.  
  
George sighed. Well, at least this would be good practice if he ever had kids someday.  
  
Ray and Bob landed next to the Car. While Bob hopped down to the ground, Ray remained in the air.  
  
“I'll unlock the Archives," Bob said as he walked. The Archives were one of the few High security areas in Mainframe, save maybe for the Core of the System.  
  
As he reached the door, and began to give it the correct codes, he couldn't help but over hear Starwell and her little brother. It reminded of Dot and Enzo. His mouth tightened, it was all the more reason to finally get rid of Megabyte once and for all.  
  
Frank stood just behind Bob, averting his gaze respectfully. He was curious, but he supposed that it was more respectful to Mainframe's inhabitants not to get too nosey when it came to pass-codes.  
  
Besides, in a way he felt... guilty, he supposed. Even though he was trying to help, he couldn't help but feel as if he was desecrating another man or woman's computer system. He knew that he wouldn't like it much if someone pawed around inside his own system.  
  
Then again, why wasn't Mainframe's User doing anything? Hadn't he or she noticed that things weren't quite right? He shook his head and sighed.  
  
Right at that moment, Greg and Starwell shouted something at each other; apparently their bickering match had gotten worse. Frank glanced in their direction; It seemed that Greg had hopped out of the car and was running toward them.  
  
"Greg, get back here!" Starwell shouted from the car.  
  
"I'll get him, stay there," George was saying, already moving.  
  
"There, that should do it," said Bob, "Is there something wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," Frank shrugged as he glanced over his shoulder. Greg came running up, with George right behind him.  
  
Frank sighed. "I told you to wait in the car," he said.  
  
"Um..." Greg swallowed, and looked up at Bob. "I needed to come over here."  
  
"And why is that?" Frank folded his arms.  
  
"I have something for him," Greg answered, pointing at Bob.  
  
"What is it?" asked Bob. Looking at the boy, he thought of Enzo. He wondered where Matrix was, or Little Enzo. He tried not to fear the worst.  
  
Greg pressed his lips into a thin line. Well, it was now or never.  
  
"This!" He jumped upward and slapped the Icon onto Bob's torso before the Guardian could do more than blink.  
  
For a moment, Bob just stood there. It was like his drivers had froze, for just a moment.  
  
Then sheer pain. Bob landed on his knees and one hand, the other gripping at his chest. The alien icon had melded into his bitmap, he could no longer retrieve than he could retrieve fragmented data.   
  
His head pounded, and he could feel his far extremities begin to go numb. For but a few short moments, when he wasn't clenching his eyes, he found that his hand had begun to change from its usual light blue to a darker blue.  
  
He could hear someone distantly call him.  
  
"What in the Net--" Anna shoved Greg aside so roughly that he landed on his bottom, hard. In the same instant the female Guardian was touching Bob's shoulder, trying to get his attention. "Bob? Bob!"  
  
"What's going on?!" Starwell was already out of the car, running toward them. "What happened?!"  
  
Gizmo shrieked on her arm, as if warning her not to get too close. It's "voice" was somewhat strained due to its damaged state.  
  
George simply looked stunned, glancing between and Anna, and he looked at Frank.  
  
Frank pulled Greg to his feet, looking into the boy's eyes. "What was that?" he demanded. "Where did you get it?"  
  
Greg swallowed. "Somebody named Megabyte gave it to me," he said. "Megabyte said that Bob stole his identity!"  
  
Starwell heard this. Her eyes flew wide with horror; she clamped her hand over her mouth as she gasped.  
  
"Megabyte?" Anna's head shot up, and she seethed. She had seen firsthand how dangerous Megabyte was, and how much of a backstabber he was.  
  
"MEGABYTE?!" Starwell shrieked furiously. "YOU DID SOMETHING TO BOB FOR MEGABYTE?!"   
  
"Hey!" Frank snapped as he and George each grabbed one of Starwell's arms, preventing her from tackling her brother.  
  
"I am surrounded by morons!" Anna yelled, ultimately frustrated. She gave Bob a light slap across the face. "Guardian, speak to me, snap out of it! Cappaten, scan!"  
  
"Bob!" Ray leaped off his board, "By the Net, Bob!"


	79. Chapter 79

Ray hit the ground, but found that he couldn't move his legs. A feeling, something from the infection he guessed, burned. He held his head.   
  
Something cold seeped into Bob's consciousness.  
  
"Hello Bob."  
  
The voice hadn't come from outside. Bob was deaf to all around him. His vision was getting blurry.  
  
Megabyte?  
  
"Of course. Who did you think it was? A delivery service?" the voice chuckled, "Though I have to say, the boy certainly had his usefulness. His delivery couldn't have come at a better time."  
  
Through blurry eyes, Bob watched as his seemingly numb hand shifted and changed into something familiar, blue and silver, with yellow claws.   
  
What...?  
  
"You see Bob? How else am I going to leave this system without a body? And what a convenience, you are right here, and all your friends are in a panic... and right for the picking."  
  
With his fading strength, Bob jerked his head up and yelled. "RUN! GET AWAY FROM ME!"  
  
Anna grimaced; she was so close to Bob that his yell deafened her. She took a couple of steps back and snapped, "Cappaten, containment field!" As a golden energy field appeared around Bob's form, she waved her arm in a wild gesture. "GET OUT OF HERE!" she barked.  
  
"Greg, Hannah--in there!" Frank gestured toward the archives. But neither of them complied.  
  
"You are so STUPID!" Hannah hissed at her brother, and then looked at Bob. "Bob! Bob, are you okay?!"  
  
"What's happening?! What did I do?" Greg exclaimed.  
  
"Anna..." George took a tentative step toward his wife, and toward Bob.  
  
Bob’s vision was beginning to go black. He couldn't feel his arms or legs. He remembered the first time that he had been shot into the Web, that overwhelming feeling of drowning in strange data, and that prickling sensation of degradation. This was similar, but all so different.  
  
He was muttering. Or he thought he was.  
  
"That's right Bob, sleep. You need a rest."  
  
Megabyte... Me-...  
  
Megabyte assumed control. Bob's bitmaps shifted and changed, and only the form of Megabyte remained. But it wasn't the Megabyte that had been changed and degraded from the Web. His new form, it was so similar to the original one he had, but leaned towards his Web-changed form, without the scales or the spongy effects.  
  
He gave a laugh, and broke through Anna's shielding. One hand was behind his back, the other was waving a finger in Anna's direction.  
  
“Now, now," said Megabyte, "You shouldn't be so rude, Guardian. After all, is this how you treat your... partner?"  
  
Anna scowled and gritted her teeth. "You are nothing but a backstabbing Virus," she spat in his face. "I see you took advantage of the User kid to get what you wanted... very manipulative."  
  
Frank grabbed each of the kids by the arms; ignoring Starwell's protests he began to pull them with him into the Archives.   
  
George glanced between Anna, Megabyte and Ray, frowning, unsure what to do.  
  
"It was mentionable, wasn't it?" Megabyte said nonchalantly. He looked into the distance, and smiled, "It seems that someone else wishes to part take here. Good bye, for now." Megabyte turned, and began to walk to Frank, Starwell and Greg, with all the grace of a gentleman.  
  
Anna screamed like a banshee and tackled the Virus, jumping up onto his back and directing her Keytool at him. "Cappaten, narrow beam!" she shouted.  
  
A deadly energy beam shot out from the end of the Keytool, into Megabyte's bitmap.  
  
Megabyte reached up behind, and grasped Anna's arm and Keytool, and directed it towards George. "Did you really think I'd let you do that?"  
  
Something from the ground shivered and floated up. Glitch flew in the direction of Frank.  
  
Anna gasped as the edge of the beam hit George's arm; her husband cried out and backed up against the wall.  
  
Frank saw something flying toward him; he automatically ducked and held his arm up above his face. "Get in there!" He yelled at the kids, and they reluctantly complied, rushing into the Archives.  
  
"YOU MONSTER!" Anna grabbed her pistol from her belt and pressed it against Megabyte's head with her free hand.  
  
In one swift motion, Megabyte kicked Anna back and ripped the gun from her hands. He crushed it, and he let it drop to the ground.  
  
"I don't mind cheating, Miss Code. But if your going to do it, please aim it at someone who you can cheat."  
  
"You Bloody Bugger!" Megabyte narrowly dodged a leaping Ray, who seems to have adapted to using all fours. The Search Engine looked far more beastly.  
  
"Hello surfer," Megabyte said, in a bored tone, "You certainly look well."  
  
Anna grunted in pain as she impacted the ground.   
  
"Anna!"  
  
"George?" Anna groaned as she looked up; George was coming toward her, holding his arm. "Come on," he urged her. "We gotta get out of here!"  
  
Meanwhile, Frank and the kids had made it into the Archives. Whatever it was that had flown at Frank, he swatted it aside like an oversized, pesky fly. "What the devil was that?" he muttered aloud.  
  
Starwell glanced at it, then gasped. "That's Glitch!" she exclaimed, pointing at it.   
  
Frank blinked. “A Glitch?”  
  
“No, Uncle Frank, his name is Glitch! He’s a Keytool!”  
  
Glitch beeped, maybe annoyed, maybe not.  
  
"Keytool?" Frank blinked, taking a step toward the odd device. He could safely say he'd never seen anything like it.  
  
"Yeah, sort of like this," Starwell told him, pointing to Gizmo on her arm.  
  
"Where the hell did you get that?" Frank asked aloud, as he bent down near Glitch to examine it more closely.  
  
"I don't know... he just kind of appeared, when I played around your computer." Starwell said, somewhat sheepishly.  
  
"Huh." Frank reached out and carefully picked up Glitch.

0o0o0o0o0

Ray tackled into Megabyte, before jumping back off. "You two Run! I got this!"  
  
Despite his wounded arm hindering him, George managed to use his good arm to help Anna up. "Come on, to the car!" he urged her, and they began to proceed toward it. Thankfully the engine was still running.  
  
The moment Ray pounced again, Megabyte caught him.  
  
"Seems that your... infection, hasn't yet taken its dues," said Megabyte, "I'm amazed that you've lasted this long."  
  
"What did you do to Bob?!" Ray demanded.  
  
Megabyte slammed the surfer into the ground, and picked him back up.   
  
"Don't ask questions you know the answer to."

0o0o0o0

Anna and George reached the car; Anna gripped the steering wheel in an iron grip and, after a moment, they were off flying into the sky.  
  
"What do we do now?" George asked, cradling his arm.  
  
"Oh I have an idea," Anna sneered. She took the car a safe distance from Megabyte, then she landed it on a stretch of ground that seemed relatively safe. "Get out," she snapped.  
  
George frowned. "Anna, what are you up to?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
"Trust me." She winked. "Just get out."  
  
George sighed. "You'd better not do something really crazy and get yourself deleted."  
  
"Oh, you know me better than that."  
  
"You're right. You'll get yourself erased."  
  
Anna leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Don't worry so much," she winked. "I'll be back in a nano."  
  
George stared at her for a long moment, then he shook his head and climbed out, being careful with his arm. "Whatever you're gonna do... don't take too long."  
  
"I won't." Anna revved the engine, and took off once again. She then set a direct course for Megabyte, intending to ram him at full-speed.

0o0o0o0

On Starwell's arm, Gizmo chirped a couple of times, somewhat weakly.  
  
"How come I still don't get one of those?" Greg complained, as Frank turned Glitch over in his arms.  
  
Frank cast a brief glance toward the Keytool on his niece's arm, then looked at Glitch. "Alright," he muttered, "what are you? What can you do?"  
  
Glitch beeped a couple of times, perhaps in acknowledgement or in an attempt to communicate.  
  
“Um, Uncle Frank,” Hannah cleared her throat and stepped closer to him. “Like I said he’s a Keytool. He belongs to Bob, but I think sometimes they go to other people if they can’t go to their chosen sprite or something.”  
  
“You still haven’t explained what it is and what it’s for,” Frank said, raising an eyebrow. He knew many, many things about computers and programs, but he also knew better than to fool around with a new program without learning about it first. Especially in this kind of situation where programs were sentient, and they could very well be dangerous.  
  
He also figured that Hannah would be the best one to ask. After all, kids weren’t always as dumb as older people made them out to be, especially if they happened to get their paws on new technology and learn about it first.  
  
“Okay well… I guess they’re made for helping Systems, I don’t really know what they are,” Starwell explained, squinting at Glitch. “I think Gizmo’s kind of different but I’m not really sure how. And I think Glitch went to you because he wants to help you, or he wants your help returning Bob to normal.” She shrugged.  
  
Both of them were so intent on their discussion of Keytools that they didn’t notice Greg slipping away, toward the door.  
  
“So what do I do? Just talk to it?” Frank scratched his head.  
  
“Um… well Gizmo and I talk a lot,” Starwell said, “but from what I’ve seen of Glitch, he doesn’t really talk much. Bob just says his name and gives a command, and Glitch will do whatever.”  
  
“Huh…” Frank gently turned over the device in his hand, then held it upright in his palm. He knew enough to show the device the proper respect, since it could prove useful.  
  
The older User then turned his attention to the Archives, which appeared to be a collection of data stored in the form of windows… or it could at least be accessed through windows. Being inside a System was definitely different from accessing everything from a keyboard and mouse; there were no obvious icons to click on, no Start Menu to bring up Command Prompt or access the deeper levels.  
  
Frank scratched the back of his head.  
  
“Well, what are you going to do?!” Starwell demanded, cutting into his concentration.  
  
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out!” Frank exclaimed a bit snippily. He wasn’t really annoyed at his niece, simply at his own inadequacies that came with being outside of his element. Then again, wasn’t this exactly the kind of thing he’d wanted? Wasn’t this why he signed up with that company to create the conversion device and the software to run it?  
  
Not like this, he thought. No, he hadn’t wanted it to be like this. He had imagined that it would a whole lot different. He had originally planned to test the device sometime after the kids had gone back to their parents’ house, some night when Marge was either sound asleep or away at her mother’s. It would have been so much more peaceful, without having to worry about two kids or an infected System. It would have been more like… First Contact on Star Trek or something, he supposed.  
  
Well, things rarely went as so idealistically imagined or planned. Especially when people made stupid mistakes.  
  
“Well, Glitch,” Frank said with a heavy sigh, “can you help me out here? Can you… help me form an interface into the archives to access this System’s registry and functions and so forth?”  
  
Starwell cradled Gizmo against her arm, watching intently. She kept her lips pressed into a thin line, wanting to see what would happen and she didn’t dare interrupt.  
  
Glitch beeped in confirmation, but it required a real command before it could act. Frank frowned.   
  
"Try telling him to do something specific," Starwell said. "That's what Bob does... and uh, call him by name."  
  
"Alright... Glitch, ah... System Interface?" Frank figured it was worth a shot. Glitch beeped again, requiring something to help it connect to the system. Frank scratched the back of his head, not quite understanding the Keytool. Apparently the command didn't work, or Glitch couldn't follow it for some reason.  
  
"We'll come back that," Frank finally said with a shrug. "Let me examine this place and I'll see what I can do on my own first." As he began to study the archive windows and data rather intently, Starwell noticed something. Greg was gone.  
  
"Great..." she muttered under her breath, looking around. Was the little brat really stupid enough to run outside? Then again, it just showed that he was a lot like her in a way...  
  
Frank was so intent on what he was doing he did not notice Starwell head toward the door.


	80. Chapter 80

As Anna maneuvered the car forward she kicked it into full gear, revving the engine to full speed. “TAKE THIS MEGAJERK,” she screamed at the top of her lungs as she drew closer and closer.  
  
From a distance, George watched as his eyes widened with horror. He clamped his hand over his mouth just to keep from yelling; it wouldn’t do any good right at the moment anyway.  
  
“Cappaten, Anything!” Anna shouted as she leaped out of the car, just before the last nano. Cappaten changed shape into a glider which she grabbed onto and it enabled her to move out of the way.  
  
The abandoned car went directly toward Megabyte. His head had snapped up when he heard Anna’s yell. He matter-of-factly threw Ray aside and steeled himself as the vehicle came close enough to impact. His newfound power enabled him to grab hold of it as it came; it crunched inward as it contacted his powerful arms, like a paper airplane coming up against a steel pole.  
  
Megabyte held the ruined car for a moment, eyeing it almost thoughtfully. He then tossed it aside like unwanted rubbish. “Such violence,” he commented as if a small child had threatened him with a pea-shooter. “Come now, Miss Code, you will have to do better than that.”  
  
The female Guardian maneuvered her glider some distance away where her husband stood waiting; she landed next to him and her Keytool returned to its former shape, re-attaching to her wrist. Then she and George exchanged glances and began to confer with each other. They were too far away for Megabyte to hear anything they were saying.  
  
“HEY!” A different voice yelled, surprisingly loud and stern for someone so young and so much smaller than the virus. Megabyte turned to see none other than Greg approaching. “You tricked me! You lied to me! You’re the one who did all of this, aren’t you?!” He gestured toward the city, indicating the Infection.  
  
“Why of course, dear boy,” Megabyte said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You have served your usefulness well. Now I have a body again, and,” he held his hand in front of his chest, “I have my revenge.” His talons tightened into a fist; it was a gesture of triumph and satisfaction. He eyed his arm with appreciation, reveling in the fact that he not only had a physical form again, but he had possessed the one sprite who’d given him the most trouble.   
  
On the ground, Ray snarled. He forced himself to his feet with what little strength and willpower he had lift. He put two fingers in his mouth and gave a shrill whistle; the surf board came flying in his direction.  
  
“You USED me!” Greg yelled, taking a bold step closer to the Virus. “You made me think I was helping you!”  
  
“Oh but you did.”  
  
“But you lied! You said Bob stole your identity!”  
  
Ray was back on his Board. He let out an uncharacteristic roar of a battle cry as he zipped toward the Virus, intending to attack. Megabyte turned his attention away from the kid for a nano; he punched Ray in the midsection, sending him flying off the board. In the same smooth motion, Megabyte grabbed the Board and stomped on it with one foot, hard.  
  
Ray yelped as he landed on the ground. His form flickered in and out for a couple of nanos.   
  
Megabyte grinned. “You see boy,” he sneered, “I will do whatever I must to get what I want. And,” he stamped on the board again; this time Ray seemed to wink out of existence, “some people are just so predictable and easy to manipulate.”   
  
The virus eyed the surf board for a moment, then extended a pair of metallic tendrils; he penetrated the board’s surface. It turned a sickly color of green and blue as its surface contorted into a more spore-like appearance. “There,” he said, “that’s better.” He retracted his tendrils and straightened, leaving the fully infected Board on the ground.  
  
Greg could only stare in horror for a moment. When he first came into this System he wanted nothing more than to leave, especially since these people were freaky. He still wanted to leave. But now he had seen first-hand why they looked and acted the way they did; it was because Megabyte had made them that way. “How can you do this? You’re hurting people!”  
  
"How?" Megabyte stepped closer to the boy, his shadow blocked any light, "Because I am a virus, dear boy. Viruses are meant to hunt, to destroy, to corrupt. How can I do any less than my primary function?"  
  
He could see the boy tremble ever so, and he chuckled.  
  
"Didn't your parents ever tell you never to deliver things for strangers? You never quite know when something is going to blow up in your face."  
  
Greg practically gulped. "Well, I've never met a virus before!" he defended himself weakly. "Everybody else I've met has been kinda friendly... up until now." He glanced down at his shoes, as though he were mostly thinking out loud.  
  
"Then you've certainly made a fool of yourself. Haven't you?"  
  
"What are you going to do now, with Bob?" Greg demanded. He needed to know just what he had caused.  
  
Some distance away, George and Anna had finished scheming; they began to move.  
  
"Wasn't it obvious?" Megabyte chuckled, "He will be my body."  
  
"I get that!" Greg snapped. "But what're you gonna do now? Are you gonna rule this System like some kind of tyrant?" This was sounding more and more like something out of a bad video game... except this was really happening.  
  
"I will crush this system."  
  
Never had a voice had such elation and such venom in words.  
  
"HEY!" a familiar, higher-pitched feminine voice yelled from behind Greg. "Get away from my brother!"   
  
Starwell dashed over to stand beside Greg, clenching her fists and straightening to her full height. Gizmo beeped shrilly on her arm.  
  
"Ah, the User." Megabyte set a hand on Greg's shoulder. "You're being rather rude. I was having a lovely conversation with your... Little Brother."  
  
Greg let out a yelp and flinched under Megabyte's touch. "Let go!"  
  
"Megabyte..." Starwell growled, taking a bold step closer. "Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?"  
  
"Hey, you're a girl!" Greg said indignantly. "And you're not THAT much bigger than me." Somehow summoning up a bit more nerve, Greg directed a kick at Megabyte's leg. The leg was solid, like steel. It made Greg's foot hurt.  
  
Megabyte didn't flinch. "My own size?" The virus laughed, "I'm afraid, my dear, that you're out of luck on that. What as a User have you proven? That you can nullify, but I haven't seen anything system-changing from you."  
  
"How about a Guardian?" a fierce voice sounded off from behind the virus. Just as Megabyte turned to look, Anna Code shouted, "Cappaten, power ram!" A powerful blast of energy sped toward the virus and impacted his form, full blast.  
  
Megabyte hit the door of the Archives, leaving a sizable dent and ultimately making the door impossible to completely close. The virus slid the ground, dazed.  
  
"Wh-what?" The voice was not Megabyte's, but Bob's.  
  
"BOB!" Starwell yelled, somewhere between excited and horrified. "Bob, are you okay?"  
  
"Stay back, both of you!" Anna barked at the User kids as she moved closer, George right behind her. "Cappaten, containment field!" Red rings of energy secured Megabyte in place.  
  
"Bob!" Starwell called again, insistently. "Can you hear me?"   
  
"Starwell? What are you-"  
  
"-Doing miss Code?" The voice returned to Megabyte, and cruel intelligence was in his eyes once more, "Do you really think that this trick will hold me?"  
  
Anna narrowed her eyes, and her lips curved upward into a chilly smile. "I've got plenty more tricks up my sleeve," she said. "Just try me, if you want."  
  
"Come with me, come on," George urged the Users, gesturing them to follow him. Greg hesitated, but otherwise he didn't need to be told twice. He could tell things were going to turn ugly, and he didn't want to be around to see it.  
  
Starwell, however, hesitated even more; she held her ground.  
  
"Hannah, don't be stupid--come on!" Greg yelled as he and George began to run.  
  
Megabyte broke the rings. "Aren't you going to run User?" Megabyte asked Starwell as he began to stand.  
  
"Kid, get out of here!" Anna snapped.  
  
"No, I'm not going to!" Starwell snapped. She glanced over her shoulder; George was still running, and Greg hadn't looked back. Maybe they assumed she was following them.  
  
Starwell looked at her arm; the damaged Gizmo shifted slightly, then beeped. "Huh? What?" Her eyes widened.  
  
"Last chance, virus," Anna said firmly, readying her Keytool. "Back down, or else."  
  
Megabyte walked closer to Anna, "Or else what?"  
  
Anna's eyes narrowed into slits. "Cappaten, particle beam." A powerful, sharp, continuous beam of light emitted from the Keytool, one that penetrated Megabyte’s bitmap and would not stop until Anna gave the command to cease.  
  
"Anna, you'll hurt Bob!" Starwell protested.  
  
"I told you to get out of here, kid!" Anna snapped.  
  
Gizmo squawked again on Starwell's arm; despite being damaged, it was trying to get her attention.  
  
"What the devil are you talking about?!" Starwell hissed. More rapid-fire beeps. "You're crazy!" Starwell exclaimed. "We can't..."  
  
"Really Miss Code? This again?" Megabyte began walking closer to the source. Though damage was clearly seen being done, Megabyte either didn't feel it or wasn't reacting to it.  
  
Anna tensed and gritted her teeth. She began to move backward, allowing the Keytool to maintain its steady stream of energy as she tried to stay out of the virus's reach.  
  
"This should be working," she growled under her breath, mostly to herself.  
  
Gizmo was beeping even more insistently at Starwell. The User-sprite glanced between Anna and Megabyte, and then she backed off and moved a short distance away.  
  
"You have got to be freakin' kidding me!" Starwell hissed at her Keytool. "I know you can't do anything right now because you're hurt, but--"  
  
More clicks and beeps, followed by a strained whirring.  
  
"You have got to be kidding me!" Starwell practically yelled. "That sounds CRAZY! What will it do to me? What will it do to us if we DID that?!"  
  
Megabyte was mere inches away. He leaned in to face Code.  
  
"Who do you think you're really hurting? Do you want to here your... colleague screams?"  
  
Anna tensed. Then she blinked. "I will be rid of you, virus!" she hissed stubbornly. "One way or another!" Even as she said that, though, she felt a pang of guilt well up inside of her. Was it even harming the virus at all? And... what about Bob? She had philosophical differences with him, but... he was still a Guardian.  
  
In her moment of hesitation, Megabyte grabbed her Keytool arm. He held her off the ground.  
  
"What ever happened to not being distracted by a pretty face?"  
  
Anna grunted; she used her free arm to grab Megabyte's shoulder and she kicked his torso with full force. "You won't get away with this, virus!" she snapped fiercely.  
  
He grunted, but his grip tightened. "Now, now, Code..." He whipped her down to the earth, leaving cracks, before lifting her back to face level. "...That was rude."  
  
Anna’s vision swam; she grunted, coming very close to going offline. She inhaled sharply, desperately trying to maintained consciousness. “Cappaten… Anything!” She gasped. Then to her horror… she suddenly realized that her Keytool was out of energy. It was in desperate need of a recharge.  
  
“…Fragments,” was all she could say.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Starwell stared in horror at the sight before her. Things were bad and they were getting worse by the nano. She couldn’t even do anything to help because she was nothing but a weak sprite and Gizmo was heavily damaged.   
  
Since Uncle Frank was busy using Glitch for more important things, there was no hope of repairing Gizmo. If there was another way, Starwell didn’t know what it might be. As if reading her mind, Gizmo began to beep and click on her arm. She looked down at it and attempted to shush it. “Just take it easy,” she said. “You’re hurt pretty bad… don’t wear yourself out.”  
  
Nevertheless Gizmo strained; it continued to click and whir insistently.  
  
Starwell listened without interrupting. She blinked and frowned when the Keytool finished. “You’re kidding,” she said flatly, still dumbfounded at the idea. “You want to try… merging with me? Seriously?”  
  
More beeps and clicks.   
  
“Gizmo… that sounds just creepy,” Starwell grimaced. “I mean… you want to come inside of me?” What was she even saying? Saying it like that made it sound even worse.  
  
The User-Keytool paused, then gave another series of beeps and clicks. It pointed out that the only way to access its higher functions at present was to find a way to repair it, or to merge with a fully functional User-sprite. Gizmo made it very clear that it wouldn’t choose any other User for anything in the Net.  
  
“I still don’t know if I like the sound of this,” Starwell said honestly. “I mean… what will that do to me? And…” She gently gripped the Keytool and removed it from her arm, holding it in her hand. “What will it do to you?”  
  
If anything, Gizmo became even more animated. It felt that, together, it and Starwell could accomplish more if they became a single entity… they could possibly become even more powerful together. Gizmo was eager to lend Starwell its own functions and abilities, and it had no objection to losing its individualism to her.  
  
Plus, it seemed to imply in an undertone that, in some ways, it yearned to know and understand its User even better… and to experience the sense of free will that only Users seemed to have.  
  
“Don’t know about that,” Starwell muttered thoughtfully. At times, it seemed as though humans were just as much trapped within personality parameters as any sprite or binome within the Net… even if humans were never created for a specific purpose like programs were. Perhaps that was the biggest thing that separated Users from the Net-inhabitants. A sense of self-awareness meant that you were alive no matter what you were, but…   
  
Gizmo beeped again, breaking into that train of thought. Starwell sighed; now wasn’t the time to get philosophical anyway, especially since Bob and everyone else needed help. More specifically, they needed to deal with Megabyte.  
  
“I still don’t know about this,” she said with a shrug. She squatted down and set the Keytool on the ground in front of her. “You’re damaged. Are you sure you can…?”  
  
Beep, beep, click, beep!  
  
“If you say so. But…”  
  
More beeps and clicks.  
  
Starwell sighed. “I guess I’m not doing any good like this,” she admitted reluctantly. She figured it was ultimately her decision; it was her life and her body, after all. Under normal circumstances she would have felt more comfortable asking Uncle Frank or even Bob what they thought about it first, especially since her Uncle was good with computers and the Guardian had his own Keytool.  
  
However, there just wasn’t any time for that right now.  
  
Starwell immediately decided that she should simply make a choice. The more she dwelled on it or overanalyzed it, the more time it would take and the harder it would be.  
  
“Alright.” The word escaped her lips before she even realized what she was doing. Gizmo beeped positively, encouraging the decision. Starwell squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “I guess we should just get on with this.”  
  
Gizmo seemed to prepare itself; it gave a series of final clicks and beeps, then waited for the command.  
  
“Yeah,” Starwell breathed. “In case this doesn’t work, or something goes wrong…” She gave the Keytool an affectionate pat. “It’s been nice knowing you, and…” She chuckled. “It’s been a wild ride.”  
  
She stood and straightened to her full height. Unsure what to expect, she spread her legs apart and held out her arms as if she were about to fly. “Gizmo,” she said as she closed her eyes, “download and merge.” Then she gritted her teeth.  
  
Gizmo gave a final couple of clicks and whirs of acknowledgement, then it zipped off of the ground and encircled Starwell in a brilliant silver aura that she could glimpse even through closed eyes. The sensation she felt could not be described in mere words, but it felt as though her body was absorbing a new addition to itself through her very skin.  
  
The process was completed within a few nanos. When Starwell opened her eyes, she felt like she was basically the same person… but a little different at the same time. She could see things she hadn’t been able to see before. She also had a peculiar kind of understanding that couldn’t be described; she had new abilities and a knowledge of how to use those abilities.

Form-fitting armor came over her like a second skin, a marvelous blend of dark reds and greens. Certain areas on her body glowed with a silver light, a clear indication that she was fully charged and ready to go; in future instances, she would learn that when those silver areas dimmed, it meant she was dangerously low on energy.

The only other drastic alteration of her appearance was her hair. It still had the same length, but it had turned crimson red with a single lock of green that hung from one side of her face. Her bitmap had adopted Gizmo’s basic colors; the only things that remained the same as before was her eyes and her skin color.  
  
She also experienced a brief surge of emotion. As Gizmo finished merging its mind with hers and initializing, she felt its delight in feeling “whole” again after being damaged, and its joy and fascination in seeing the User World through her own perceptions.  
  
Starwell clutched her chest as she released a long, loud, almost maniacal laugh. It was as though she’d been overcome with a new sense of completeness. Not that anything had ever been missing before, she simply felt as though a new part of herself had clicked into place, making her more than she originally was.  
  
She then glanced down at herself, and examined her arms. She stared at herself in fascination as she realized her entire outfit had changed. Her body was now covered in a contoured armor that clung to her bitmap like an outer layer of skin. The areas that covered her torso, belly, and most of her legs and arms was like a semi-flexible metallic mesh. It was durable enough to take considerable punishment, yet flexible enough as not to hinder movement.   
  
Her boots were a dull silver color and they were the least flexible part of her attire. When she examined her hands, she noticed a more cloth-like mesh that covered the middle finger on each hand and stretched across her palms to attach to the ends of the armor on her wrists. Her other digits were uncovered, giving her hands a stylish look.  
  
Starwell flexed her fingers and then tightened them into a secure fist. “Megabyte,” she murmured under her breath. “I’m ready for you now.”  
  
"How spectacular..." Megabyte gave no inflection.  
  
Starwell stepped forward, cocking her head to one side as she studied Megabyte, as if through new eyes. "Come on," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "Why don't you drop the Guardian and come play with me?" She actually giggled.  
  
What was with her? Why did she feel so... giddy?  
  
"With pleasure." Megabyte dropped Anna, and then snapped his fingers. Howls arouse from the nearby area, and the thundering of something massive coming.  
  
Starwell moved into a defense crouch, bracing herself as the entire area seemed to shake. It wasn't an earthquake; those didn't seem to happen in Mainframe, but something was coming.  
  
"Aw what's the matter? You afraid to take me on yourself, big boy?" she smirked up at Megabyte. Part of her was a little taken aback by her newfound... attitude. Though she now had new aspects of herself to get used to. That was the price that came with choosing to merge with such a complex User Keytool.  
  
Megabyte walked away, as many infected binomes began to pour into the general area.  
  
Starwell looked around herself, suddenly grateful that Greg and George had already left, and that Frank was safely secured behind the closed archive doors. She looked around at the infected virals, and then she threw her head back and laughed. "Is that the best you've got?"  
  
A silver aura began to shine from her chest, brightening until it engulfed her entire form. Raw energy built up around her, and then dispersed forcefully in all directions; infected binomes were sent flying, crashing into the ground, some stunned and others unconscious.  
  
Nearby, on the ground, Anna groaned. She seemed to be coming to.  
  
"Okay..." Starwell moved toward the unconscious Guardian, taking advantage of the momentary quiet. More binomes were coming. "Come on," she grunted, hefting the Guardian up.  
  
Starwell began to make her way toward the archives. She had to get inside; that was the safest place at the moment.

She sent another wave of energy at a few binomes who were getting too close; they were sent flying.  
  
"Uncle Frank!" she yelled, as she re-entered the Archives. Thankfully the door was still unlocked, due to the older User still being inside.


	81. Chapter 81

Frank's head glanced up sharply when he heard his niece calling out to him. He blinked a few times, realizing that he had become so thoroughly absorbed in what he was doing that he hadn't been paying attention to the kids.  
  
Of course, that was one of the biggest reasons why Marge hated him so. She always told him that if he "didn't spend so much time on that damned computer" it would be a lot nicer for her. Then again, if she wasn't such a nagging bitch, maybe he would gladly spend more time with her...  
  
"Where's Greg?" Frank snapped, more irritated at himself than anything. This was simply proof that it was a very good thing he hadn't had any kids of his own. He probably would have lost them at the grocery store.  
  
"Uh, he's with George," Starwell answered quickly. She gently set Anna Code down on the floor.  
  
"What the hell happened to her?" Frank asked, squinting down at the red-haired Guardian.  
  
"Megabyte," Starwell said simply, and then she straightened to her full height.  
  
Frank then took in the full view of his niece and did a double-take, as if seeing her for the first time. "Hannah... what the hell? Where did you get that outfit?"  
  
"Look," Starwell said, "I've got something I need to do. But first..." She squinted at the heart of the Archives. "Have you found a way to help Mainframe?"  
  
Frank gave her another look, as if noting something odd about her, and then he shook his head and sighed. "I can't do much without a User interface," he said. "I've yet to find one or figure out how to make one."  
  
Starwell cocked her head to one side. "I think I can help with that," she said, and she spread her hands apart. There was a glow of bright silver light, and then something like a VidWindow appeared in front of Frank... only different. It was like a hovering touch-screen.  
  
Frank stared at it, and then looked at his niece in pure astonishment. "How did you do that?" he asked.  
  
"There's no time!" Starwell pointed at the screen. "Can you use that or not?"  
  
Frank tentatively touched it. It seemed to respond to both voice commands and touch commands, like a keyboard and a microphone all in one. "Yes, yes it seems I can..." After a moment he once again became lost in what he was doing.  
  
Starwell glanced at him, then glanced down at the unconscious Anna. She then shook her head slightly and headed off, toward the door; Frank didn't even notice her walking away.  
  
I'm coming for you, Megabyte, the girl thought with a smirk as she moved. Starwell stepped out of the Archives without any hesitation or second thought, using her Gizmo powers to seal it shut behind her. At least her Uncle would be safe until he fixed the system.  
  
She crouched in a defensive position; dazed or offline binomes lay scattered about, though there seemed to be nothing overly active in the area at the moment.  
  
Starwell closed her eyes, using her new senses to search for Megabyte. Where did he go?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Frank swore under his breath. He now had a User interface, but it was still a little bit tricky dealing with this from inside a System. He knew how to handle things with a Keyboard and mouse, especially since he knew how to access the Start Menu and Command Prompt.  
  
But this...  
  
He found himself looking at the Keytool in his hand. "Alright..." he muttered. "Glitch, help me out here. Interface with the System, if you can."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A roar stilled the noise, and something landed on a binome. It seemed to hop from infected to infected, nearly crushing each.  
  
Something crawled close, growling. Its claws clicked against the ground. The creature found it target. It flexed. Then it pounced.  
  
Before Starwell could do more than snap her eyes open, she suddenly found herself knocked flat against the ground.   
  
Then she screamed--not like the frightened girl who got spooked inside Games, not even like the girl who had shrieked and crumpled when Megabyte had attacked her at the start of all this. This scream was fueled by Gizmo--and she released a sharp burst of energy, almost like a powerful wave of static electricity.  
  
The creature was shoved back. It hit the ground, breaking off pieces of already shattered ground as it made impact. It regained its four legged posture, one arm however, seemed to have been bent in an unnatural direction.  
  
It let out a strangled roar.  
  
Starwell narrowed her eyes at the creature. It seemed familiar somehow, though perhaps she was imagining things.  
  
Whatever or whoever it was, though, it was probably a Mainframer... unless it was one of the odd creatures she had seen flying or crawling around.  
  
"Stay back," she hissed, "or I'll hit you again." A silver aura formed around her body as a kind of warning, as well as a preparation. If the beast tried anything, she would be ready.  
  
The creature gave a growl. It attempted to leap, but instead fell over.  
  
It gave to staring at the target, and one of its eyes began to glow red.  
  
Starwell blinked and gasped softly. She knew where she had seen that eye before. The first time she'd seen it had been in that first Game... specifically, when he first tried to kill her.  
  
The old Starwell would have backed away slowly, possibly even run. But the current Starwell had gained many different insights and experiences in the Net, especially due to interaction with her newfound friends.  
  
Plus there was the fact that she was no longer alone now; she had merged with Gizmo.  
  
So she took a tentative step closer, crouched down, and stared directly into those eyes. "Matrix," she said to him. "Come on, big fella. Don't tell me you can't fight a little infection like this," she snipped sternly.  
  
Apparently the Gizmo side of her had given her a bit of a mouth.  
  
A target symbol formed on the forehead of the prey. The thing snarled. It began a three legged gap, ignoring the injured limb. Though it could not pounce, it could certainly go fast.  
  
Starwell spread her arms apart and a protective shield bubble formed around herself. "You really want to come at me, Big Boy?" she asked. "I know you're tough, but you're not that tough."  
  
She pursed her lips, shaking her head. "Matrix, come on," she snapped more firmly. "Show me you're still in there. Remember when we turned into werewolves, in that game? Come on, listen to me! SNAP OUT OF IT!"  
  
The creature hit the shield, and was repelled back. The thing hit its back, and was getting back up-  
  
-Stone jail cell, and a young sprite in a flurry of panic-  
  
\- the target was insight. The creature blinked away the strange image.   
  
It snarled and started forward again-  
  
\- bounding down strange streets, looking for a wolf-like creature-  
  
\- The thing hit the ground again, and groaned.  
  
Starwell had no idea if she was getting through to him or not. Either way, she wasn't sure if she had time to waste.   
  
But wasn't there something she could do? Anything at all? He was her friend; she didn't feel right just leaving him here like this.  
  
She decided to try one more time. She concentrated, allowing the energy shield to condense until it merely flowed around her bitmap like a skin-tight force-field. Her form now glowed with a shiny, silver aura.  
  
"Matrix!" she snapped, taking a bold step closer. "Wake up! Think! You don't want to hurt me, do you? I'm Starwell, your friend! Do you really want to hurt Mainframe? What about Dot, and AndrAIa?" She really hoped she was getting through to him somehow.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Frank was now seated on the ground with his legs folded underneath him. Being slightly overweight and guilty of a somewhat unhealthy diet, he often hated sitting like this because it made him uncomfortable. Not to mention his legs would always end up falling asleep way too easily, but perhaps that wouldn’t happen here. As far as he knew, he no longer had blood--at least not like he would in a carbon-based body.  
  
“Alright…” he muttered under his breath. Glitch was currently connected to the User Interface Window, its form altered into a state somewhere between transparent energy and a solid formation. In a way, the Keytool was making it easier to remotely access different functions and items within the System because it could call up things on command. If Frank had had to do this alone, it probably would have taken a lot longer.  
  
“Glitch, User Command: Query Session, List all Sessions,” Frank ordered, figuring he had to start somewhere. Glitch acknowledged the command, and new data filled the Interface screen.  
  
Frank skimmed the info before him. He saw various processes and programs running at the root level, seeing the data as Users were meant to see it; in the form of raw code. He also saw the User--Mainframe’s real User--referenced as the System Administrator.   
  
He raised an eyebrow when he took note of the fact that the System functions had also acknowledged his presence, and especially his attempts to access the System, as a second User. No doubt Hannah and Greg would be registered as Users within the System as well, but they had no User Interface and they weren’t trying to fiddle with anything, so they would probably go unnoticed.  
  
“Sorry about this, man--or lady,” he muttered under his breath, “but I gotta take over as the prime User for a bit.” Part of him felt guilty, as though he was somehow stealing the System or hijacking it. In a way, he was. But he had to do deal with this infection here and now.   
  
“Glitch,” he sighed, “User command: Switch User. Display options.”  
  
Frank skimmed the options menu before him, then said, “Load the Default User registry hive.” Within moments, he had complete access to the System, having been personally registered and accepted as a second User account.  
  
“Okay, now I’ve got Mainframe eating out of the palm of my hand,” he muttered to himself, “at least… I’m starting to.” He eyed Glitch for a moment, then snorted. “Yeah, now I need to figure out how to cleanse this infection.”  
  
Behind him, Anna continued to stir. She groaned softly, touching her head as she sat up. Ever since she’d come to Mainframe it seemed as though she kept getting knocked offline. Perhaps they should put up a sign that said “Warning: Trespassers beware”. Mainframe was certainly not your typical System, that much was obvious. Things happened here, odd things… sometimes by chance, sometimes due to the eccentric inhabitants who dwelled here.  
  
Anna inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, then pushed herself into a sitting position. She decided that, despite her personal mission and her eagerness to see it through… she couldn’t wait to go home.   
  
It took her a moment to figure out where she was. Considering the look of the room and how much data seemed to be floating around, it seemed that she was in the Archives. And she wasn’t alone.  
  
She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the User. He appeared to be attempting to access the System’s deepest roots. She fought the impulse to run over and kick him away from whatever he was accessing; she had to firmly remind herself that, at the moment, he was probably the best hope for fixing the System. Even if she didn’t like him.  
  
Still, she wouldn’t take her eyes off of him. She kept a wary eye on him as she stood, somewhat stiffly, hissing in pain as she moved. Well, the first order of business would be to get Cappaten recharged.   
  
Thankfully there was an energy access outlet in the far corner of the Archive; it would do in a pinch. She gently removed the Keytool from her arm and placed it into the energy vortex, allowing it to soak up as much as it needed. Right now, this was probably one of the few places where energy was still readily available, other than the Core.  
  
Once she was certain that Cappaten was settled for the moment, she left it to its recharge. She then stamped her foot over to Frank. “Alright, User,” she snapped, “I need to know what’s going on.”  
  
He glanced up sharply at her, as though just realizing that she was even there. “I’m busy at the moment,” he said. “Trying to fix the System, you know.”  
  
“But where is everyone else?” she demanded.  
  
“I don’t know.” He glared at her. “As I said, I’m busy--” Suddenly glanced around sharply, as though just realizing something. “Oh…” He swore. “Greg!” he yelled. “Hannah!” They didn’t respond, since they were not in the Archives.  
  
“Damnit, where did they go,” he hissed.  
  
Anna sighed. “Can you fix the system?” she asked in a low, quiet tone.  
  
“If I stop being plagued with interruptions, possibly!” Frank snapped. He moved away from the Interface, toward the door. “I need to find those kids. They shouldn’t be out there--”  
  
Anna grabbed Frank’s shoulder, stopping him. “Look,” she said, “I don’t like any of you. But I know you can be useful. So here’s the deal; you stay here and fix this fragging system. I’ll find your precious niece and nephew and bring them here.”  
  
Frank eyed her skeptically for a moment, but finally nodded. The woman obviously hated his guts and she had a chip on her shoulder, but so did Marge. But… Marge always kept her word, especially when she and him were making a deal or compromise over something serious.  
  
Too bad his mongrel of a wife couldn’t be persuaded to cover up her ugly mug in the bedroom, especially when they were playing the cowboy and the schoolmarm… Okay, now really wasn’t the time to think about that.  
  
“Fine,” Frank said reluctantly. “Just… find them and keep them safe,” he told her severely. He then turned his attention back to the User Interface, knowing that if he didn’t deal with this infection swiftly, it was possible none of them would get out alive. He became focused on what he was doing, once again tuning into it and becoming oblivious to everything around him.  
  
Anna walked back over to the energy outlet, leaning against the wall and waiting patiently for Cappaten to finish recharging. It shouldn’t take too much longer. She simply knew that she couldn’t afford to go back out there with a drained Keytool, especially considering what she was up against.

0o0o0o0

Starwell and Gizmo thought as one entity, especially as the nanos passed and the shock of their merging wore off. They were already one in the Bitmap and one in their coding, but it was taking some time for their distinctive, individual personalities to finish integrating and processing together.  
  
The new entity’s eyelids flickered as the process smoothed over within her. The part of her that was now Gizmo opened more thoroughly, allowing her more complete access to its powers and functions while practically laughing with joy and intrigue. Gizmo was, after the all, the only program within the Net to have access to a User’s memories and experiences from outside the Net.  
  
Starwell closed her eyes, and then opened them with more clarity than before. When she first entered the Net she had felt lost and helpless in this strange, alien environment. She had felt shocked and confused, even anguished over some of the things that Users did without even knowing it.  
  
But now… for the first time, she felt as if she could make a difference herself. A small part of her wondered if this was anything like how it felt to be… a goddess. The Gizmo inside of her grinned a bit at the thought.  
  
A grunting sound snapped her attention back to her surroundings. The infected, mutated Matrix still lay on the ground nearby, his injured arm twisted at an unnatural angle.  
  
Memories flooded through Starwell’s mind of a very different scenario, when Phong had showed her “Megaframe” from a different time. This wasn’t the brainwashed Matrix who’d tried to molest her in that vision, though; this Matrix was aggressive, more monstrous and animal-like. It was like a diseased person who’d lost their sense of identity.  
  
Starwell took a step forward and squatted near Matrix’s eye-level. With a tilt of her head, the silvery aura around her vanished. With the shield gone she was now vulnerable, yet it enabled her to touch him without repelling him.  
  
“Matrix,” she said firmly, “look at me.”   
  
He did look at her, though there was no trace of recognition in his eyes. There was barely even a trace of awareness.  
  
“Focus,” Starwell commanded, and slowly reached up to touch his face. It felt… incorrect. Like a mutation that needed to be fixed or eliminated. “Look at me, big man,” she insisted.  
  
Silver energy began to pour from her hands; his eye changed from red to white. “Interface,” Starwell whispered, barely audible. Her Gizmo-powers managed to connect with his mechanical, prosthetic eye. Energy surged briefly between them as well as influence.  
  
A guttural snarl escaped Matrix’s throat as he tried to lash out with his good arm. However, a silvery aura engulfed his form; he found himself paralyzed.  
  
Don’t fight me, the influence growing within him urged. His clenched his teeth together, fighting against the energy field around him. Every muscle in his body struggled, but it held. Don’t fight me, the presence within him repeated. You will only hurt yourself. Then who will kick Megabyte’s ass?  
  
Megabyte? Something inside him stirred, a ghost of a memory. A Virus, a corrupted System, home…  
  
Yes! the presence within him cheered. Fight Megabyte from inside! I will help you!  
  
“Megabyte,” Matrix growled out the word. It barely even sounded like his own voice.   
  
Starwell continued to hold his face in her hands, staring intently into his eyes. Then she closed her eyes as she focused internally… inside of her friend.   
  
Matrix struggled, yet he couldn’t tell anymore who or what he was struggling against. His movements ceased and he found himself no longer fighting against the presence that filled his senses, but rather accepting it.   
  
It became like a temporary part of his Code, his willpower. Together they fought back against the infection… yet Megabyte’s influence persisted.  
  
“NO!” Matrix exploded, deafening Starwell.   
  
She flinched and bit down on her tongue, but otherwise gave no outward reaction. “Yes, fight it!” she yelled, both verbally and mentally. “You can do it!” As she looked into his Code, she saw flashes of memories. A time not so long ago when he fought against Daemon’s Infection, because…  
  
…He hated viruses, especially Megabyte. He remembered it too as she witnessed the memory. “Megabyte!” Matrix snarled with newfound venom. Anger filled his senses and his willpower increased.   
  
He struggled against the energy field, but this time it wasn’t an aggressive gesture. “Let… me go!” he gasped.  
  
Starwell, still having a connection to him through her Gizmo powers, knew what he was attempting. She released the barrier and lowered her hands, but maintained the connection.  
  
Matrix roared as he lifted his good arm with effort; he tapped his Icon, reverting to Game sprite mode. Even so the Infection persisted even as his Code attempting to purify itself; Gizmo’s energy swirled about around him and within him, picking the remainder of the infected pieces apart bit by bit until it was completely vanquished.  
  
Matrix collapsed in a heap, back to normal except for heavy exhaustion. The connection between him and Gizmo/Starwell remained for a few nanos, as the latter wanted to make absolutely sure the infection was gone.  
  
During that brief instant, Matrix saw flashes in his mind. Brief insights into a world that was completely alien to him, senses that were equally foreign, and memories of perceptions that were like nothing he had ever imagined or experienced before.  
  
Gizmo/Starwell quickly realized that the mental connection had gone too deep; She was dangerously close to overloading Matrix. She quickly broke the link with Matrix’s prosthetic eye.  
  
Even as the Renegade was released, the images and perceptions lingered, vague as they were. Some of them were beyond his comprehension to understand or perceive correctly. He gasped as the world around him went dark; he slumped against the ground, unconscious.  
  
Starwell knelt down beside him, checking his pulse. Then something pricked at the edge of her senses; something was happening within the system.  
  
She glanced up sharply. What was happening?


	82. Chapter 82

“Finally,” Anna Code said with a mixture of relief and impatience as Cappaten chirped, announcing that it was fully charged. She snatched the Keytool and placed it on her arm.  
  
“Where are you going?” Frank asked as he glanced up from his work.  
  
“Out,” Anna snapped, already moving.  
  
“You might want to sit tight for a bit.”  
  
She eyed him suspiciously. “Why?”  
  
Frank gestured toward Gizmo and the Interface Window. “I think I’ve isolated the infection,” he said. “In just a moment I’ll have the bad Coding removed, and I can hopefully restore this System to its previous condition.”  
  
“I see,” Anna said. “Yet your tone suggests something more.”  
  
“Yeah… in order to finalize it and finish closing out unwanted programming loops and stray pieces of code… I’m going to have to force a restart.”  
  
“A Restart?” Anna blinked.  
  
“It’s the only way to make sure the Infection is gone.” Frank nodded at the modified Keytool. “Glitch… do it.”  
  
“You might be lost if the system restarts,” Anna pointed out.  
  
“Perhaps not, I am in the Archives,” Frank said, and then his face fell. His eyes widened with horror. “Oh no, Greg and Hannah are out there somewhere!” He began to move swiftly toward the door--but the decontamination process was already underway. Time itself seemed to slow down.  
  
Everything dimmed, and then went back. Frank had just enough time to yell, his fingertips brushing the surface of the archive door before everything temporarily shut down.  
  
“GREG! HANNAH!”

0o0o0o0o0o0  
  
Megabyte gazed up at the sky. He had already detected what was coming; the system had started a pre-shutdown phase. His infection was already being eradicated.  
  
“No!” he exclaimed, clenching his talons into a tight fist. If he didn’t move quickly he might be swept up along with it.  
  
However, soon it wouldn’t matter. He had what he truly needed; a body. And soon, he would have the one other thing he needed; a way to enter that one System where Starwell came from.   
  
The mutated virus found Greg alongside Anna Code’s husband. Greg cowered and whimpered as George held him, both protectively and comfortingly as they hid behind a fallen beam in the midst of ruins. This area had been Baudway, one of the heavily populated zones.  
  
Megabyte sneered at them, his face contorting with a dark, evil smirk. He bounded over to them.  
  
“AAAAAHHHH!” Greg screamed as George shot to his feet.  
  
“Stay back, virus, or I’ll--” George began to declare, but was cut off with a strangled gasp as Megabyte grabbed him by the throat and lifted him high off the ground.  
  
“Or what?” Megabyte gave him a shake. “You aren’t in a position to do anything.” Without another word he snatched up Greg, causing the boy to yelp even more loudly.  
  
“Now, I must get out of here before the System finishes its shutdown procedure,” Megabyte commented mostly to himself. It seemed that the shutdown was already beginning.  
  
He dashed forward, accessing a command he had gleaned from the Principal Office upon the moment of Infection. A new Gateway Command, something that had been in the works in an attempt to send Starwell home.  
  
However, Megabyte would be making a detour. He had no intention of traveling through the Net. A portal formed and then he, along with his captives, left Mainframe… and the Net.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

(Flashback, Some Hours Prior in the Web)

On that fateful day when Ray Tracer and the Web Riders were separated from the Saucy Mare, they could only watch helplessly as the Pirate Vessel drifted out of sight. However, they did at least have the satisfaction of witnessing their triumph as the tear stabilized and the ship traveled through a fresh portal.  
  
Ray was pleased that his newfound friends had made it to their destination. His only regret was that he couldn’t be there to help see things through to the end. He wasn’t entirely sure how they managed to stabilize the tear without him, but he figured the Guardian had something to do with it.  
  
Having found himself with nowhere to go and no real destination in mind, Ray chose to stay with the Web Riders for at least a while.  
  
After all, the Web was his digital domain and if there was something he didn’t know about it he wanted to learn more. And as it turned out, the Web Riders were more than happy to teach him.  
  
Therefore Ray learned to speak Web Tongue moderately, he learned the basics of herding the pod creatures and he even witnessed their methods of harvesting web slugs and using the pod creatures themselves for food, armor and even weapons. Very little was wasted in the Web by the Web Riders.  
  
It was only due to Ray’s adventurous spirit and his curiosity that he stuck around that area of the Web as long as he did. He’d been preparing to move on when, eventually, a portal that lead to Mainframe miraculously stabilized. A metallic-looking figure was pulled into the Web by a few of the younger creatures which leeched off of energy.  
  
Ray knew that this was his chance to get back into the Net, to see how his friends had made out. He saluted the Web Riders, bid them a fond adieu, then slipped through the Portal.  
  
Soon after that he teamed up with the orange-haired female sprite, Mouse, in rounding up Mainframers who were lost or trapped throughout the dying System. Ray found the woman to be like no other girl he’d ever met, and even stayed with her when Mainframe crashed. That had been the longest, most passionate, and most blissful kiss of his life.  
  
After that he promised to show her the wonders (and perhaps some of the terrors) of his digital domain, since he figured she could handle it. The Web called to him on a deeper level; he felt the need to return there even for some casual surfing. He’d invited Mouse along, but she chose to stay behind to help Dot and the other Mainframers finish checking over the Restored System. Besides, everyone understood that Dot needed morale support from her female friends more than ever.  
  
Thus Ray returned to the Web for a time, alone, vowing to return to Mainframe at a future time. He simply knew that he couldn’t stay away from Mouse forever.  
  
Unfortunately his daring, adventurous spirit had gotten the better of him; he made a foolhardy move by entering the Supercomputer, where Daemon’s influence was the strongest due to her actual presence being there. Ray had been captured by the Guardians there and taken to Daemon in the clock tower, where she forced him to “hear the Word”.  
  
Turbo had personally witnessed the Surfer’s infection, and under Daemon’s influence he had rejoiced that another individual had “found peace” thanks to the Word. It was soon after that when Turbo and a number of other Guardians were sent on a mission to capture Guardian 452 in another System.  
  
Daemon had taken notice of Ray’s portal-forming abilities, limited as they were. She took even more interest in the fact that the Surfer could go into the Web and navigate that region fluently. The Supervirus had very little influence in the Web, even if she had the power to manipulate some of the creatures to an extent.  
  
For the most part she had dismissed the Web. Her primary function was to bring Unity to the Net through its destruction; the Web was another matter altogether. It thrived on chaos and there was too much data density there to ever hope to map, let alone sort through or infect. But that did not mean there couldn’t be things, or people, of interest there.  
  
Therefore she sent Ray Tracer into the Web to seek out a long shot. It seemed that Bob’s Guardian code had been detected in multiple locations, sometimes as many as three at once. Turbo had informed Daemon that a sprite named Matrix had a copy of Bob’s Guardian protocol, so that explained one of the sources. Then of course there was the Real Bob, but… which source was he? The one in the Web, or one of the sources within the Net?  
  
No one knew why a Guardian Protocol would be detected within the Net. Daemon reasoned that it might simply be a decoy, or perhaps the Guardian had chosen to hide out there… even if that seemed unlikely. A Guardian such as Bob would choose to remain where he was useful, where he could protect his friends and his system. But nevertheless, Daemon’s time was running out and she couldn’t afford to leave any stone unturned.  
  
Having heard the Word, Ray went into the Web without question or argument to seek out and find the rogue Guardian Protocol. He eventually found Bob, or what appeared to be a copy of him, once again with the Web Riders. It seemed that they had welcomed his presence whole-heartedly.  
  
Ray then spoke of Daemon and how Bob just had to meet her. Bob seemed more than eager to get to the Supercomputer and see what was going on for himself. However, once they set foot in the Supercomputer, Bob had gotten a very strange look in his eyes--something like a deep horror--and said that they needed to leave at once.   
  
At that time, Ray had no way of knowing that this Bob was actually Megabyte in disguise, and that the virus had sensed the presence of an infection far more powerful than himself. Having no wish to be infected himself, “Bob” began to flee, with Ray hot on his trail. The chase only ceased when Hexadecimal’s cure spread throughout the Net, cleansing everyone of Daemon’s infectious touch.  
  
It was then when Ray returned to his normal self, along with everyone else in the Supercomputer. Soon after this, “Bob” had insisted on going to Mainframe. Little did Ray know that it was mostly because the “Guardian” wanted to avoid questioning by the other Guardians, possibly scans, by people who knew the real Bob and might recognize Megabyte as a virus in disguise.  
  
Ray thought nothing of it when “Bob” asked him to take them both to Mainframe. It was only natural for the Guardian of Mainframe to want to return home and see his friends again, after all. Little did he know that this was all part of a sick scheme for the virus to infiltrate Mainframe, pull an almost sadistic trick on Dot for his own amusement, and eventually try to take over the System.  
  
Either way, back in the Web, the Web Riders never forgot their encounters with ether of the Bobs or Ray Tracer.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

(Present Time, in the Web)

The Web-Riders never forgot Bob, either of the Bobs. When they saw someone who appeared to be one of the Bobs wandering about in the Web, accompanied by two sprites they had never seen before, they were automatically intrigued. The leader of their group squeaked out an order, and a few of the Web-Riders approached the trio of sprites.  
  
“You are welcome among us, Bob,” the ringleader squeaked in Web-tongue.  
  
“Who are these sprites you bring with you?” a second Web-Rider squeaked in kind.  
  
George stared at the strange creatures. It took him a few nanos to figure out where he was. Once it hit him, he felt his pulse skip a beat and his energy go cold inside his Bitmap.  
  
“By the Net… this is the Web,” he breathed. Everything around him felt wrong. The air itself had an odd scent and seemed to bite into his nostrils as he input and output.  
  
Greg was absolutely terrified, staring at everything and nothing with widened eyes. The only sound he uttered was a frightened whimper.  
  
“These are my friends,” Megabyte told the Web-Riders, in a perfect imitation of Bob’s voice.  
  
“Why have you returned to us?” the ring-leader of the Web-Riders inquired. The Web was their domain; they were survivors and they stuck together. They often welcomed sprites who were lost strays within the Web, or otherwise just trapped there, but Guardians were something different. They could return to the Net and still be normal, unlike most other formats.  
  
In answer, “Bob” smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile, in fact it was rather sinister and it became more evil after a nano. Then he flung George toward the Web Riders, causing them to start. The virus had no further use for the sprite; abandoning Anna Code’s husband within the Web would be satisfactory enough.  
  
Then, clutching the terrified Greg in his free hand, Megabyte altered his appearance to his true form. The Web Riders stared in amazement and puzzlement, then drew their weapons as they perceived a potential threat.  
  
Megabyte extended his tubules toward the nearest beast, infecting it with his influence at least enough to control it. The Virus then barked a command, causing the mount to fling its rider off.  
  
As Megabyte brought himself closer to the creature, clutching Greg under his arm, several of the Web Riders encircled him. He mounted the beast and snarled at them as they opened fire. Energy blasts penetrated his Bitmap, but did minimal damage.   
  
Megabyte steered his steed toward the nearest Riders, shoving each one off of their mounts as he passed. He then performed evasive maneuvers as he rode off in a different direction.  
  
The virus made a beeline for a pod of Web Creatures and, once he was close enough, he released a thunderous roar that was enough to spook them; they began to flee in a random direction.  
  
The Web-Riders suddenly found themselves torn between pursuing Megabyte and retrieving their stolen mount, or heading off their pod of valuable creatures wandered out of their acclaimed territory.   
  
The leader of the Web-Riders resolved the conflict by squeaking out orders to the other Riders. A couple of them split off to rescue George who was drifting aimlessly while the majority went after the pod to round them up and bring them back. A pair of other Riders were selected to pursue Megabyte and rescue the young sprite he held captive.  
  
Megabyte took advantage of the distance he’d gained between himself and the Web-dwellers. He pulled his steed to a halt, then lifted Greg to his face-level. The Virus’s smile turned sadistic as Greg’s horrified expression increased. The boy’s face had gone absolutely white.  
  
“There is one last thing I need you for, boy,” Megabyte told the young User.   
  
“W-what are y-you g-going to d-do?” Greg squeaked.  
  
“I need a final piece of the puzzle.” He set the boy down on the shoulder’s of the mount, just in front of him. “I managed to acquire a piece of code from your sister when I tried to infect her. Perhaps, with you, I can get what I need to complete the key to breach your dear Uncle’s system.”  
  
“W-what--” Greg’s voice cut off with a scream as Megabyte’s tubules shot out of his wrist and penetrated the boy’s Bitmap. Greg slumped against the animal’s form, weakened.  
  
“I do apologize, my dear boy,” Megabyte said, “but I am in a hurry.” He grabbed Greg by the scruff of the neck and lifted him up. “You’ve served your purpose, young User. And now, I will leave you to a fate worse than deletion.”  
  
With that, Megabyte hurled the boy in the direction of the oncoming Web-Riders. They pulled their steeds to a halt as they reached Greg’s form; one of them grabbed him. Then they looked at Megabyte’s retreating form, wondering if they should pursue.  
  
Their indecision was resolved when their leader bellowed, summoning everyone back. The pair of Web-Riders exchanged glances; that command meant that the pod had been rounded up.  
  
“We have the captive sprite,” one of the Web-Riders squeaked in Web-tongue. “The loss of one steed is insignificant,”  
  
“As long as he does not return, let him keep it,” the other Web-Rider agreed.  
  
They both glanced down at the boy. He appeared to be temporarily offline, or at least heavily stunned.  
  
“Let us return to the others,” the first Web-Rider said. “We will take care of the young sprite and see how the other is faring.”  
  
They nodded at each other, and then kicked their mounts into gear to rejoin their kindred.


	83. Chapter 83

It was cold. Not like the temporary deep freeze of a mage spell within a game or even a file-freeze system glitch. This was an empty, eerie coldness like being in a vacuum. He was floating in the midst of it.  
  
And in the darkness, he gasped.  
  
Matrix's eyes opened to the gray skies of Mainframe. He hadn't felt this bad since his first lost game, and he'd lost his eye in that, and gained the knowledge of what it feels like to have your head crushed like a can.  
  
His circuits felt fried.  
  
"Matrix?" A familiar voice was calling his name. Gentle hands touched his arm and shoulder, giving him a slight shake. "Matrix, are you okay?"  
  
Starwell was kneeling beside him, in the same position she'd been in when the system finished shutting down to Reboot. "Are you okay?"  
  
Matrix coughed, "...Feel like I've been thrown into the energy sea..."  
  
"Nothing you can't handle, big boy," Starwell stated with a smile. "Or are you gonna let a little infection get you down?"  
  
Suddenly her smile became more mischievous. "Maybe this will make it better... we've both owed you this for a while." She smirked and gave him a peck on the cheek.  
  
Then she experienced simultaneous, almost conflicting emotions. Starwell felt horribly embarrassed. Gizmo, however, was cracking up inside.  
  
Matrix blinked. As the cobwebs finished clearing out of his foggy processor he focused on Starwell. She looked… different. Not only that but she gave off a different kind of… vibe. "... Starwell? What in the Net...?"  
  
Starwell glanced down at herself, then looked at him again.  
  
"Why, haven't you guessed?" She grinned. "Gizmo and I have merged!" She let out a short burst of laughter. "It feels WONDERFUL!" She punched him playfully in the shoulder.  
  
"...Great.” Matrix tried to get up, he felt so stiff and sore. The most he could do was prop himself on his elbows.  
  
"Come on, Big Guy!" Starwell slipped her hands under his armpits and pulled him up with a strength she never had before she merged with Gizmo. "We gotta go after Megabyte, he..."  
  
Starwell suddenly stared off into space. "By the Net... he's no longer in Mainframe! I don't sense him anywhere!" She cocked her head to one side. "Do you think he's been... deleted?"  
  
"Megabyte deleted... That would be the greatest thing since Alphanumeric..." Matrix cracked his neck and relieved some of the stiffness.  
  
"Hannah!"  
  
Starwell turned her head to see two sprites emerging from the Archives. "Uncle Frank!" she called out.  
  
Frank ran over to Starwell and embraced her. "Thank God you're okay," he told her.  
  
Anna walked up behind him, scowling. She didn't seem particularly happy.   
  
“Who’s this guy?” Matrix still seemed rather dazed.  
  
Anna rolled her eyes and looked at her Keytool. "Cappaten, Scan the System." A moment passed. "This system is clean of infection," she announced, and eyed the two Users warily.  
  
Frank disengaged from his niece and looked her in the eye. "Where is your brother?" he asked, touching her shoulder.  
  
Starwell blinked. "Uh... I don't know, he ran off somewhere..."  
  
Anna's eyes widened as if just realizing something. "George?" She looked around.  
  
"What's going on?" Matrix asked. He managed to get on his hands and knees, and then lifted himself to just his legs. He swayed a bit, but stayed up right. Then something hit him. "Where's Bob?"  
  
Starwell blanched. "Oh my God... Megabyte took over Bob's body."  
  
Anna scoffed. "Your friend was no doubt wiped along with Megabyte when the System was clean."  
  
Frank let out a breath. "I'm sorry," he said, "but we need to get going." He gently took Starwell by the arm.  
  
"No, what about Bob?" Starwell demanded, digging her heels into the ground.  
  
"Finding your brother and getting back home is more important," Frank said.  
  
"Finding my husband is important," Anna murmured aloud, mostly to herself. She then jabbed a finger directly at Starwell. "And you Users aren't going anywhere! I've got unfinished business with both of you."  
  
"What?... No, no that's not-That can't be-"  
  
Matrix let out such an aggravated roar. He pulled Gun from his thigh, and fired at the nearest wall, blowing a complete hole through it.

Anna cast a sharp glance in his direction; she had been trained to respond to sudden acts of violence, though she detected no threat directed at her or anyone else.

Frank, on the other hand, took several steps back and kept his niece close.  
  
"Come on, let's think about this," Starwell insisted, yanking herself free from her Uncle's grasp. "We all know Megabyte is clever and very intelligent... he wouldn't let himself be deleted that easily."  
  
"Hannah..." Frank narrowed his eyes. "We need to get--"  
  
"So," Starwell interrupted, "it seems to me that he could still be out there somewhere... we find him, we find Bob. Plain and simple!"  
  
Anna's face became frozen as she mulled this over. Any plans she had in dealing with the Users would obviously have to wait, especially since she'd promised she wouldn't focus on anything else until Megabyte was dealt with.  
  
And now it seemed questionable that he was truly gone at all.  
  
"Alright, but where would he go?" she asked aloud.  
  
"I'm going to erase him from the face of the Net," growled Matrix.  
  
“Hannah.” Frank’s voice was firm, resolute. “I am not going to waste any more time in this system. We need to find your brother and return home.”  
  
Starwell said, “I know, Uncle Frank, but I can’t just--” She stopped, blinking as a sudden thought came to her. “Oh no.”  
  
“What?” Frank’s brow furrowed with concern.  
  
“That’s exactly where Megabyte might go, don’t you think?” Starwell breathed, horror washing over her.  
  
“That does sound like something he would do,” Anna chimed in, clenching her fists. Now her displeasure at the situation turned into anger.  
  
“We will be going there soon enough, Hannah,” Frank re-assured her. If there was a virus in his system, he would want to deal with it before he returned to the Net anyway. He preferred a clean system, after all, as any self-respecting computer expert would. Or any User at all, really. “But we must find your brother.”  
  
“Oh the little squirt can take care of himself,” Starwell argued, some of her Gizmo-mouth coming forth again. “Uncle Frank, Bob’s life is in danger!”  
  
“I am not leaving your brother here!” Frank snapped. “This is Greg we’re talking about, girl. We have a responsibility to family first, then to my computer.”  
  
“Yeah, maybe that’s why you and Aunt Marge spend so much time ignoring us,” Starwell quipped, her tone dripping with hurt. “Our lives have to be in danger before you start paying attention or caring.”  
  
Frank stared at her for a long moment, stung. “I care,” he finally said. “I’ve always cared. I just get busy with my work.” Surely the girl had to understand that he needed to make a living. Especially to support that fat cow who wasn’t even good for her looks.  
  
“So do my parents. I’ve heard this speech before.” Starwell mimicked a yawn.  
  
"Cut that out," said Matrix bitterly.  
  
Starwell shot a look at Matrix, then shrugged. "Whatever." She then folded her arms in front of her chest as she turned back to her Uncle. "If you want to stay here and look for Greg, feel free. But I'm gonna help get Bob back."  
  
Frank sighed. "Stubborn girl," he remarked.   
  
The two Users locked eyes, glaring at each other.  
  
“Both of you stop it,” Anna Code barked. She sighed. “Look, the kid does not have an Icon. There is a good chance he was lost when the System Restarted.” She spoke with an air of someone who was thinking, That’s one less User to worry about.  
  
Frank clenched his hands into fists. “No. I don’t believe that!”  
  
“Look, let’s deal with Megabyte first,” Starwell insisted. “Then we can come back and look for Greg!”  
  
Frank opened his mouth, then closed it. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Fine,” he relented. “Any virus that could do what I saw happen to this System… I can’t risk it messing up my system… or our only way Home.” That thought scared the pants off of him and made him understand the urgency. Greg, wherever he was, would just have to wait.  
  
“It’s my system that you are discussing,” Anna snapped, as if she couldn’t make that point clear enough.   
  
Frank glanced at her, but otherwise ignored her. “We should get back to the docks,” he said. “Hopefully Christina is still there.”  
  
“The search engine?” Anna let out a spluttering laugh. “Knowing her she’s turned tail and run already.”  
  
“We don’t need a search engine…” Starwell rubbed her hands together. “We just need a portal, and…” She gave Frank a meaningful look. “We need a way to crack the security on your system.”  
  
“Ah. Well… I’m sure I can provide that somehow.” Frank scratched the back of his neck. “But what is a portal?”  
  
Starwell smirked at Glitch, who Frank still held in his hand. “You know, don’t you buddy?” The Keytool made no reply.  
  
"Someone say Search Engine?" From the sky, floated down a sprite on a flying surf board, "What did I miss?"  
  
Matrix crossed his arms and grumbled.  
  
"Hi, Ray!" Starwell waved. "What's cooking?"  
  
"Starwell? You seem happier than usual, and you're bit map changed, is there something I should know?" Ray asked.  
  
"Gizmo and I merged," Starwell answered with a grin. "See what I can do now?" She hovered a few feet off the ground.  
  
Frank blinked as he stared at her. He then held Glitch closer to his face, eyeing the Keytool with newfound interest. "These devices must really be something," he mused, as if he wanted to disassemble Glitch if he could to see what made it tick.  
  
"We need to get going," Anna stated with authority.  
  
"I agree," Frank nodded. "If we can get near my system one way or another--"  
  
"MY system!" Anna cuffed Frank in the shoulder.  
  
"Ow!" Frank grimaced and rubbed the sore spot. "Lady, you already gave me a bruised jaw, I don't need any more injuries."  
  
Anna grumped impatiently. "We really must be going if we want to make sure my system is safe." She scowled at Frank, driving the emphasis home.  
  
"Look, as I was about to say before you punched me," Frank said firmly, "if we can get near that system, I can breach the security. Trust me, I know that system like the back of my hand."  
  
“Don’t say you know anything about it,” Anna growled. “The people who live there, who call it home, are the ones who know about it. Not you.”  
  
Frank chose not to reply, if only to prevent further argument. This was a woman with a different attitude than Marge, someone who had very different reasons for hating him. Yet apparently he could argue in circles with Anna Code just as badly. Well, it’s just dress rehearsal for when I get back home to the ball and chain, Frank thought wryly.  
  
A VidWindow popped up in the midst of the sprites. “Matrix, Starwell!” Dot exclaimed. She looked very exhausted and a little pale, but at least the infection was gone.  
  
“Hiya, Dot,” Starwell greeted cheerfully with a little wave.  
  
Dot seemed to mentally count everyone she saw present, then gave a slight nod to herself as if pleased that some of the heads she was missing were in one place. Ray hovered just above the ground on his Board while the others stood together nearby. “Good to see you’re all okay,” she said. “But where’s--”   
  
She stopped and stared at the girl for a moment. “Starwell? What happened? Why do you look… different?”  
  
Starwell raised her arms high above her head in an overdramatic stretch, angling her form to show off her new armor. “Yeah, everybody keeps saying that. Gizmo and I have merged,” she grinned.  
  
Dot blinked. That sounded familiar. “Well, just be careful,” was all she said on the matter for the moment. “Now, where is Bob?”  
  
Matrix held a stern face. Ray said nothing.  
  
"Bob has been taken over by Megabyte," Anna supplied.  
  
"What?!" Dot exclaimed.  
  
"It's a long story and we need to get going," Starwell said snippily, already walking away.  
  
"Hannah, wait for me." Frank was following her.  
  
"You two are not going anywhere without me!" Anna followed after them. "Especially not to my system."  
  
"You aren't going anywhere-" started Matrix.  
  
"Without us," finished Ray.  
  
"Now wait a millisecond!" Dot exclaimed from the VidWindow. "All of you just stop right there."  
  
"But Dot--" Starwell began.  
  
"No buts," Dot stated with authority. "I want all of you to meet me at the Principal Office ASAP. We need a plan before we do anything."  
  
“'We?'" Frank repeated, staring at the green woman. "Why don't we bring all of the programs in this system to my system? It'll save time," he said sarcastically.  
  
"I told you..." Anna began to growl, balling her fist.  
  
This time Frank cut her off at the pass; he side-stepped her strike and she missed him. "Stop that, Missy," he told her sternly. "We can argue over symmetric terminology later."  
  
"I don't need room." Starwell once again rose a few feet off the ground, proving she could fly.  
  
"Don't do that," Frank told her. "You're making me nervous."  
  
"But Uncle Frank, it's perfectly safe! Gizmo and I--"  
  
"I don't care," Frank snapped. "I won't have my niece doing anything without testing it first." He sighed. He simply didn’t want anything to happen to the girl, especially after everything that had happened already.  
  
"We don't have time to argue." Anna grabbed the edge of the surf board and climbed aboard.  
  
Matrix followed Anna, "I'm keeping my eye on you."  
  
Frank climbed aboard next, making sure he kept Ray between himself and Anna and Matrix.  
  
"You should be more concerned about him," Anna snapped at Matrix, jabbing a finger in Frank's direction. "He's responsible for this entire mess. He's the one who made it possible for Users to come into the Net!"  
  
"Uncle Frank just saved Mainframe!" Starwell snapped, floating closer to the Board and placing her hands on her hips.  
  
Frank grabbed her by the arm, ignoring her protest as he pulled her into the Board beside him. "No flying for you, young lady," he told her firmly.  
  
Starwell pouted. "You're no fun."  
  
"Well... This is a little heavy..." said Ray.  
  
"This is another reason why I should fly!" Starwell exclaimed.  
  
"Can you handle all of us or not?" Anna demanded, looking at Ray.  
  
"I can try..."  
  
"Then kick it into gear, my man." Starwell grinned mischievously. "Show us you've got muscles... like Matrix."  
  
"Or we could always dump him and lighten the load," Anna quipped, glaring at Frank.  
  
The board began to lift, though a visible strain was on Ray's face. A few nanos passed as they began to move. Then Starwell frowned, taking pity on the Surfer even as her newfound mischievous side kicked in once again. "Let me lighten the load for you!"  
  
"Hannah," Frank warned, but then his niece did something he did not expect.  
  
She grabbed him in a solid embrace, and then both of them lifted off of the Board and straight into the air. "Hannah!" Frank barked, but she only laughed and flew higher.  
  
"Ray, I'll race you to the Principal Office!" Starwell challenged as she held onto her Uncle. A silvery aura had formed around them both, like a mystical energy that kept them both in the air.  
  
Relief spread across Ray, and he let out a breath. His head lifted up with a dare-devil emotion. "You're on!"  
  
Starwell began to laugh hysterically as she flew across the sky in the direction of the Principal Office. As her Uncle yelled at her for her antics--and for dragging him along with her, literally--it only fueled her laughter as she went.


	84. Chapter 84

A portal opened just above the ground in the middle of the city within system Watson Codec. A few sprites and binomes were within the city going about their business; their heads turned to observe the appearance of a large, sponge-like mutated form.  
  
Megabyte’s metallic feet clanked against the ground as he set foot within the system. He took a quick look around as several programs stared.  
  
“W-what are you?” one of the binomes asked, quivering.   
  
Megabyte towered over the program, placing his hands on his hips. Several of the sprites and binomes were already moving away--a couple of them were running. The unfortunate binome who’d spoken to Megabyte remained frozen in place, quaking until his entire bitmap threatened to partially fragment.  
  
“There is no need to be frightened,” Megabyte purred in a deep, soothing, gentlemanly voice. “I am merely a visitor.”  
  
“A v-visitor?” The binome seemed intrigued, though still very wary. “F-from where?”  
  
“From the Web,” Megabyte grinned.   
  
The binome gasped and clamping each of his hands over his mouth. “Y-you are? But t-the W-Web is…”  
  
“Yes, the Web has a rather unfortunate reputation,” Megabyte said. “I am here to see your fair system for myself.” He got down on one knee and smiled. “I mean you no harm, my friend,” he added in a more charming tone.  
  
The binome seemed to relax somewhat. “Well… okay then, I guess. I suppose you seem… f-friendly enough…”  
  
“Now, how about a tour?” Megabyte asked. “I would like to see everything there is to see in this fine system of yours.”  
  
“Uh… sure. I don’t see why not,” the binome shrugged. “W-what is your name?”  
  
“Megabyte. And yours?”  
  
“Jack.”  
  
“A Pleasure, Jack. Now let us get started.” Megabyte rose.  
  
“S-sure… will you tell me about the Web?” Jack looked up at Megabyte with a newfound sense of awe and fascination.  
  
Megabyte chuckled. “Sure, as long as we walk while we talk.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As the “tour” proceeded, neither of them knew that they were being observed. In fact they were being followed by a stealthy figure.   
  
Qsa Linex had been out patrolling the area, looking for any sign of the return of the Users. When she detected a portal she zoned in on it like a bee to honey and went to investigate.  
  
She did not like the look of what came out. Upon closer examination, she quickly determined that the being was a virus.   
  
She was instantly concerned. She already felt threatened, even though the virus was nowhere near the conversion hardware she considered her personal territory yet. But her home was dependent on the system, so…  
  
Linex continued to follow from the discreet distance, observing quietly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Jack proceeded to show Megabyte the town, including the best attractions that most of the sprites and binomes went to. They passed several different people as they walked, most of them giving Megabyte a wide berth or at least a second glance. Some of them turned and went in the opposite directions, others avoided the odd pair by sprinting down a side street.  
  
“Now this here is my favorite place in the entire System!” Jack announced proudly as they approached one of the restaurants. The building had a set of stairs which lead to a wrap-around section, upon which a couple dozen tables and chairs were placed, enabling patrons to sit just outside the actual building. Megabyte received the same stares from those patrons as he did from anyone on the streets.  
  
“So I see,” Megabyte acknowledged as he looked upon the place. “It appears to be a sophisticated place.”  
  
“Would you like to go in?” Jack invited. “I could treat you to lunch, and you could tell me more about the Web!” His eyes were wide and pleading; apparently he’d gotten over his fear of the larger program for the most part. “You did promise!”  
  
“I would love to,” Megabyte replied dryly, ‘but I’m afraid I am pressed for time. I would like to see the rest of your fair city.”  
  
Jack’s face fell in disappointment. “Oh. Okay.”  
  
Megabyte gave a smile. “Come now, I will tell you about the Web as we walk.”  
  
The binome’s face instantly brightened. “Then tell me, tell me!” he practically bounced up and down as they continued to walk. “What’s it like? Do they have Game Cubes out there? What kind of creatures live out there?”  
  
"The Web is a dangerous, beautiful place. Web creatures and Code Masters, and the environment are entirely hostile. One will steal parts of your code, the other will rewrite it on a whim, and the third will degrade you until you are naught but a web creature yourself. But despite those things, the Web has a beauty to it, something you can look at but never touch, if you ever get the chance.  
  
"I have never heard of Game Cubes there, but I never traveled so vastly among the Web to know."  
  
“Wow….” Jack breathed, taking in every word with fascination. He was about to ask another question when something else caught his attention.  
  
A tall creature stepped into view, as if appearing out of no-where. Her bitmap was a dark, reddish brown color that almost appeared metallic; her limbs were mostly dark gray. A blue visor covered her eyes and a set of four wings were folded against her back.  
  
She stepped directly into their path, her mandibles parting as she released a shrill hiss. She then spread her wings and drew herself to her full height. Despite her sleek, slender form, she was just as tall as Megabyte.  
  
Then she gave Megabyte a long, withering look, as though her very presence was an example of what he would have to deal with if he tried anything. In the very next instant, the being was gone, having teleported herself away in a brief flash of brilliant white light. Megabyte had not seen a being with that particular ability other than his sister.  
  
Jack was clinging to Megabyte’s leg, shaking violently. “It w-was t-that f-freaky bug-lady!” the binome squeaked.  
  
"I beg your pardon...?" Megabyte raised a metallic eye ridge.  
  
Jack gulped. Once he re-assured himself that the strange being was gone, his quaking reduced to a minor tremble. He continued to cling to Megabyte's leg, however.  
  
"I don't really know what she is," Jack finally said. "But everybody's seen her flying around the city. I almost think she's spying on us!"  
  
He gulped again. "She's... you know. They say... she lives in the... t-tower. That... that thing that can bring Users into the Net."  
  
"Really? How fascinating."  
  
"I don't like it," Jack said with a shake of his head. "Everyone's been scared since that thing showed up. And that bug lady..."  
  
He shivered and pressed his head against Megabyte's leg. "There've been rumors going around that she eats binomes for breakfast, and young sprites for dinner. I don't know if that's r-really true, but..." He shuddered.  
  
"It sounds like someone I wish to meet."  
  
Jack gasped and let go of Megabyte's leg. The binome took a step back and cringed. "No, no!" Jack exclaimed. "Don't you know what she's done? She..."  
  
Jack glanced around, as if making sure the creature wasn't about to reappear. Then he cupped his hands around his mouth and stood on the tips of his toes to whisper, "They say she ate our Guardian. Anna Code."  
  
Megabyte chuckled, "Oh, I doubt that very much."  
  
"B-but our Guardian is gone! If she wasn't eaten, where is she?"  
  
"Certainly not here, of course."  
  
"Just... stay away from that freaky creature," Jack swallowed. "And stay away from her Tower, if you know what's good for you."  
  
He shuddered again. "Imagine, a place that can bring Users into the Net... that's an abomination in of itself!"  
  
"Oh you never know."  
  
Jack's single eye blinked a couple of times. "What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"There maybe other things. Moving on, I believe there are more things to see?"  
  
The binome relaxed visibly. "Yeah, come on," he nodded with a smile. "I'd really like to show you the park..."  
  
They spent the rest of the second going about the city as Jack proudly showed off his favorite areas, even the not-so-favorite places.  
  
Eventually they came to the edge of the city, the docks, which brought them to the shoreline of the energy sea. "Ah, and that's the Tower I mentioned before," Jack said, pointing at an enormous structure located some distance away, like an island.   
  
Jack stared at it for a long moment, then shook his head. "Some of us keep hoping that thing will crash into the energy sea. It's just..." He shuddered. "It's bad news."  
  
"It is a separate city all together, isn't it?"  
  
"Um... I guess so?" Jack rubbed the side of his head. "Nobody I know has been inside."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Well... I heard rumors that the Command Dot Com has been inside. So was Anna Code at least once." Jack looked thoughtful. "Soon after that... the Guardian disappeared."  
  
"I don't believe you need to worry."  
  
Jack scratched the back of his head. "Well anyway... I think I've shown you everything I can in one second." He smiled up at Megabyte. "Thanks for telling me about the Web. It's not every second somebody gets to meet a sprite from that place!"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Well uh..." Jack straightened. "I need to get home. Gotta get up early for work next second. But... it was good to meet you." He extended his hand to Megabyte.  
  
"Oh believe me, the pleasure was all mine."  
  
The binome lowered his arm. "Goodbye!" He gave a friendly little wave, and then turned and walked away.  
  
Megabyte eyed the smaller program as he walked away. The Virus then turned to regard the Tower off in the distance, extending from the Energy Sea and toward the Sky as though it was truly capable of reaching into that mysterious world outside the Net. Its very appearance was truly metaphorical.  
  
He smiled, knowing that he must find a way to get there as soon as possible if his plans were going to proceed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Back in Mainframe, another Plan was in the works. Everyone had gathered in the control room of the Principal Office and Dot was attempting to call them to order.  
  
“I totally beat you fair and square!” Starwell laughed as she skipped into the room.  
  
“Alright, I’ll give ya that,” Ray said as he followed her, his Board under his arm. “Maybe we could do a rematch sometime, when there’s nothing weighing us down.”  
  
“You’re so on!” Starwell beamed.  
  
Matrix muttered something intelligible.  
  
“Listen, gang,” Mouse addressed everyone, “we’ve gotta get organized. We’re assuming that Megabyte went to that system where Starwell came from.”  
  
“It does sound like something he would go for,” Dot acknowledged with a serious nod. “He’s always wanted to get to the Supercomputer, and this conversion hardware would be his key to that much more power.”  
  
“I don’t know anything about this Megabyte, but it makes sense to me I guess.” Frank was rubbing the back of his neck. His entire body felt sore and stiff due to the exertion of his wild ride with Starwell. Most of it was probably his own fault, though; he had gone rigid and tried to twist out of his niece’s grasp while moving so rapidly. In the end he knew that it was good she had such a good grip on him with her powers, otherwise he would have been a flattened bitmap somewhere below in the city.  
  
“But are you sure he went there?” Ray asked.  
  
“Trust me, if he’s not there already then he will be,” Dot answered. She had that I know I’m right because I know this virus gleam in her eye.   
  
“Then it is my responsibility to return to my system and deal with this,” Anna spoke up.  
  
“Well you’re not going there alone.” Frank folded his arms and gave the Guardian a severe look. “Look,” he cut her off before she could say anything, “I know you don’t like me very much. But you know what? I don’t care; I’m used to it. I live with a wife who hates my guts and the feeling is mutual, and we love every moment of it. But that’s not the point right now.”  
  
“Then what is the point?” Mouse asked.   
  
Dot shot each of them an impatient look.  
  
Frank was silent for a nano, as if trying to remember his own train of thought. Then he said, “The point is, we can all waste time arguing around here, or we can get going already.”  
  
“Shoulda said that in the first place,” Mouse quipped.  
  
“I agree, we need to get going. Now.” Matrix smacked his fist against his palm.  
  
Anna sighed.  
  
“We still haven’t been able to crack the security on that system,” Dot pointed out. “How are we going to--”  
  
“I can take care of that,” Frank interjected, raising his hand as if to be noticed. “I am that system’s User, after all.”  
  
Dot stared. Her expression became mildly horrified, yet intrigued at the same time. “So you are the one who…?”  
  
“We can discuss who did what later,” Anna snapped. She seemed completely disgusted with the fact that anyone would give the Users any extra attention, especially the one who created the hardware responsible for bringing Users into the Net. “I’m heading to the docks to see if Christina is still there. If she is, we’ll use her ship to get back to Watson Codec.”  
  
“Fine,” Dot said. “But I’m going with you.” Several others stared at her, taken aback.  
  
“Dot, Honey, Mainframe needs you here--”  
  
“Mouse, Bob’s in danger and I’m going wherever Megabyte took him to get him back.” Dot’s tone was firm, resolute. “I’m going.”  
  
“So am I.” Matrix folded his arms. AndrAIa stepped up behind him and placed a hand on her hip. “So am I,” she echoed.  
  
“I’m going too,” Ray said.  
  
“Then I’m tagging along too,” Mouse said. “You all can’t have a party without me,” she winked.  
  
“Fine, then let’s get going.” Anna grabbed Frank’s arm roughly and began to escort him out.  
  
“Ow!” Frank grimaced, but let himself be pulled along as Starwell followed him closely. “Lady, if you don’t cripple me before this is over it’ll be a miracle.”  
  
Anna scoffed. “Don’t tempt me.”  
  
“You all go on ahead,” Dot told the others, “I’ll be there shortly.” With that she began barking out a few final orders to her staff in the control room, and got in touch with Phong soon afterwards. Once she was sure that the city would be alright without her presence, at least temporarily, she grabbed her Zip Board and left the Principal Office, speeding toward the docks.


	85. Chapter 85

By the time the Command Dot Com arrived at the docks she had already received a VidWindow informing her that Christina was still present. However, apparently the female Search Engine was being stubborn about letting anyone aboard. In fact, the door on the ship was sealed and locked from the inside; there was no getting in.  
  
“Come on, Christina, it’s me,” Frank was yelling through the door. “You remember me, don’t you?”  
  
“Go away,” a grumpy voice inside snapped back. “You brought me to an infected system and I’m not opening this door until I know it’s safe.”  
  
“It’s safe,” Ray called to her.  
  
“Yeah, everything’s clean and tidy,” Mouse added.  
  
“I don’t believe you,” Christina argued from within. “For all I know, you could be virals trying to trick me into opening the door.”  
  
“Look, we need you to take us back to System Watson Codec, or the virus that was in this system might infect the User world!” Anna barked.  
  
“All the more reason for me to stay right where I am,” Christina insisted stubbornly, “at least for the next few seconds.”  
  
Dot looked like she was about to say something, but the Guardian beat her to the punch. Anna slammed her fists against the sealed door. “I am Guardian 752, and I order you to open this door right away. Otherwise,” she hissed through her teeth, “you are condemning your system to corruption and possible deletion!”  
  
Silence.  
  
There was a reluctant sigh, then the door finally opened. Christina peered out at them, giving them a visual once-over and checking for any visible sign of viral infection. “Come aboard,” she finally huffed, gesturing them forward with her hand. She then went back inside and plunked herself unhappily at the helm.  
  
Dot, Mouse, Ray, AndrAIa, Matrix, Frank, Anna and Starwell all climbed aboard single-file. Everyone except Anna sat down.  
  
“What do you want?” Christina asked dully as she noticed the Guardian standing behind her. She pressed a button on her console to shut the door and re-seal it.  
  
“I’m just surprised you’re still here, that’s all,” Anna replied.  
  
“I see.” Christina started the engine to warm it up. “You figured I would flee at the first sight of trouble.”  
  
“Yes, I did.”  
  
“Well, sorry to disappoint you, Guardian. But I simply sealed up my ship and waited.”  
  
“So I see.”  
  
“There were a few rumors going on about you back in Watson Codec, you know.”  
  
Anna raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”  
  
“Yeah. Some are saying Qsa Linex ate you for breakfast.”  
  
The Guardian snorted. “She’d be more than welcome to try. I’d gladly give her indigestion.” Anna began to turn away.  
  
Christina stabbed at her control board with a sharp digit. “Some second, that cocky attitude is going to be your undoing,” she remarked under her breath. “Alright,” she announced in a louder voice, “everybody strap in and hang on; we’re heading out.”  
  
Frank looked out the window as they began to lift upward. I’m sorry, Greg, he thought, wondering where his nephew was right now. I’ll find you. I’ll find a way to bring you home, I promise.  
  
If nothing else, that was the best he could do for now. He could only hope that Greg had found a safe place to hide and that the boy would be alright there until he returned.  
  
Dot’s voice pulled him out of his reverie. “Enzo! What in the Net are you doing here?” She sounded like a scolding mother.  
  
“I didn’t want to miss out on the fun!” the kid’s voice replied. “I never get to go anywhere!”  
  
“Well you are not coming with us!” Matrix snapped. “You’re going right back--”  
  
“Too late, Sugar,” Mouse spoke up. “We’re about to leave Mainframe.”  
  
Matrix growled under his breath.  
  
“Here kid, sit next to me.” Starwell grabbed Enzo and set him into the empty space beside her.  
  
“Whoa,” the kid exclaimed as Starwell strapped him in. “Is that some kind of new armor you’ve got on? That is so cool!”  
  
“I know,” Starwell replied with an irritated edge in her tone. “I look different.” She was starting to get very bored of hearing that.  
  
“Everyone hang on!” Christina shouted from the front. “If you’re not strapped in, this is your last warning!”  
  
All of the sprites grabbed hold of their armrests as the ship shuddered slightly through some minor turbulence on its way out of Mainframe’s port. “Alphanumeric!” Enzo exclaimed, the last word uttered before the ship began to stream forward toward a specific destination.  
  
Anna leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes. She thought of George, briefly wondering where he was. My love, she thought, not realizing that her lips moved slightly to silently mouth her words, I will find you and I will be with you soon… I dearly hope. If she survived all of this, George would be the only thing in the Net worth living for, besides her duty.  
  
Who was she kidding? She’d always had her duty. Her family was her life. Her parents had been gone for a long time, and she no longer had Kat. There was Zettabyte, but even the grandmotherly sprite couldn’t fill that particular void in her life.  
  
George, my love… Anna gritted her teeth. I should have asked you to come with me from the start, before I left our System. Her knuckles turned white as her hands clenched against the armrests. I already know you would have refused… you always disagreed with me in regards to the Users. But I should have…  
  
No, she would not cry. The only place she would ever permit herself to cry again is in George’s arms.  
  
Matrix and AndrAIa were seated side by side, as were Mouse and Ray. Dot sat in a separate seat, though she kept an eye on Frank, Starwell and Enzo--all of whom were seated in the same seat across from the Command Dot Com’s.  
  
“This is going to be so fun,” Starwell said aloud.   
  
“Don’t do anything stupid, Pup,” Matrix warned firmly. “That goes for you, too, kid.” He glared at Enzo.  
  
“Now Sparky,” AndrAIa chimed in with a meaningful look, “Enzo will have a very important job when we get there.”  
  
Enzo immediately brightened in her direction. “I will?”  
  
AndrAIa smiled. She knew exactly how to make the boy feel important and get him to stay out of the way. “Sure. We’ll need someone to stay here with Christina and guard this ship while we go after Megabyte. If any virals get past us, you need to protect our only way back to Mainframe.”  
  
Matrix rolled his eyes at AndrAIa’s words as Dot flashed an amused smile at the boy.  
  
“I will!” Enzo beamed. “You can count on me!”  
  
“That’s a good sport,” Starwell gave the kid a light, playful punch in the shoulder. “When this is over, we’ll play a game of ball with you.”  
  
“Uh, no promises there,” Frank said distractedly.  
  
Starwell blinked. “Not you and me,” she corrected. “Me and Gizmo will play ball with Enzo. We’re one now, remember?”  
  
“Yeah…” Frank rubbed his forehead warily. A small portion of his mind wondered how in the world he was going to explain this phenomenon to anyone outside the Net… particularly Hannah’s parents. One problem at a time, he told himself firmly. Just focus on one thing at a time.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Megabyte moved casually along the shoreline of the energy sea, as casually as someone going for a stroll. Any passersby who noticed him barely gave him a second glance; he once again looked like Bob. The only thing that might stand out was the greenish-colored icon, though no one paid any heed to that.  
  
He needed transport of some sort if he was going to make it to the Tower. That meant either an air transport of some kind or a ship. He kept his eyes peeled as he walked along the shoreline. A couple of small boats could be seen sailing across the water, occupied by joy riders. Even if those vessels could serve his purpose, it wasn’t possible for him to get to them.  
  
Well, it was never said that everything worth gaining would be easy to get. There were a few, rare moments when he wished he had some of Hexadecimal’s power at his disposal, at least her ability to fly or teleport. Of course, he could definitely do without her… unpredictability.  
  
He would just have to keep looking. He was bound to find something eventually.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When Christina’s vessel entered System Watson Codec, she immediately sped across the Energy Sea toward the city. They passed by the Tower in the middle of the Sea on their way.  
  
“Wait, what’s that?” Dot called out.  
  
Christina didn’t even glance up from the helm. “That is--”  
  
“That’s my invention,” Frank interjected, eyeing the Tower thoughtfully through the window. “Stop the ship!”  
  
Now Christina glanced up. “Why?”  
  
“I need to be there!” Frank snapped, already rising from his seat. “I need to make sure everything there is alright. And… I might be able to help keep it safe.”  
  
“Christina, bring us to the Tower,” Dot said firmly. She then looked at Frank. “We’ll drop you off at the Tower. Mouse, I want you to go with him and see what you can do. Ray, you should go as well. If anything happens I want you to get them out of there.”  
  
“Will do, Honey,” Mouse nodded.  
  
“You can count on me,” Ray acknowledged.  
  
Christina muttered something under her breath as she swerved her ship around toward the Tower.  
  
Once they were docked with the Tower and the door was opened, Frank lead the way in a frantic rush out of the ship, closely followed by Mouse and Ray.  
  
“Good luck, Uncle Frank!” Starwell called out to him as the door shut.  
  
Frank froze in his tracks. “Hannah,” he breathed, then swore under his breath as he turned just in time to see the door seal shut. The ship was already moving away. “Wait!” he yelled.  
  
“Come on,” Mouse touched Frank’s arm. “We don’t have all second.”  
  
Frank pulled free of her touch and scowled at the ship. “I don’t want her going anywhere near that virus,” he said.  
  
“She’ll be fine,” Ray said. “Come on, we gotta check out the Tower.”  
  
With great reluctance, Frank tore his gaze away from the ship. “She’d better be alright,” he growled under his breath. Since there was nothing else he could do, he turned and ran toward the Tower door.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The door opened just as Frank and the sprites reached it. None other than Qsa Linex peered out; she gestured toward them. “Come inside,” she said firmly.  
  
“There may be a virus here,” Frank warned her as he entered the tower.  
  
“Yes, there is,” Linex confirmed with a nod. Once the trio of sprites were inside, she sealed the door shut behind them.  
  
“You mean you’ve seen the bloke?” Ray asked.  
  
“He goes by the name Megabyte,” Mouse provided for the Queen’s benefit. “A big, ugly, smooth-talking backstabber who’ll just as soon pay you a small fortune as delete you.”  
  
“Yes,” Qsa Linex nodded. “Come with me, quickly.” She turned and lead them down the corridor, heading deeper into the Tower.  
  
“State your names and your functions,” the Queen requested of the two strangers as they went. Normally she would have gotten the introductions out of the way first, especially since she didn’t make it a habit of letting anyone into the Tower. But she had already declared this an emergency, and she would trust anyone accompanying her Creator to a point.  
  
“I’m Ray Tracer, M’lady. I’m a Web Surfer.”  
  
“I’m Mouse, a Hacker.”  
  
“A Web Surfer and a Hacker,” Qsa Linex shook her head slightly. “My User keeps curious company.” She cast them a meaningful glance over her shoulder. “I could use your help.”  
  
“That’s what we’re here for, darling,” Mouse acknowledged.  
  
They soon found themselves in the heart of the Tower, in the main control room. Mouse couldn’t help but stare at the sight of it, the consoles and equipment that lined the ground, ceiling and each of the walls as if each large surface was simply another floor.   
  
Ray let out a whistle of admiration as he took in the sight of the place, then raised his goggled eyes to look up at the floating sphere. “Blimey, what is that?” he asked, pointing at the giant floating object.  
  
“That,” Linex replied in a clipped tone, “is where the energy is stored to convert an entity into an energy-based being or a carbon-based being. It simply depends upon your destination, whether you are entering Cyberspace or Physical Reality.” She placed a hand on her hip. “It is literally full of energy, being fully-charged; I would not recommend going inside.”  
  
Frank’s gaze swept across the entire room as Linex spoke. The room was awe-inspiring, especially knowing that he himself had designed all of this. Would this be anything like what God would feel if He walked among his creations?   
  
Frank did not compare himself to a deity, he knew that he was just a man. If he were anything more he assumed that he would have a much more pleasant existence, perhaps with a bigger house, more recognition for his work and talents, and a prettier wife with a better, kinder personality.  
  
Oh who was he kidding? For all he knew, perhaps God Himself came home to a nagging wife at the end of the day, too. No wonder Jesus was conceived by a human woman; maybe it was the only way God the Father could get some…  
  
Frank shook his head. If he continued that train of thought he’d probably get in trouble somehow. “What can we do?” he spoke up, addressing the Queen.  
  
Qsa Linex regarded him in thoughtful silence for a moment. “I would say that you know this place even better than we know it, at least to an extent,” she said, almost reverently. “You are the only One from outside this Tower, User or otherwise, I would allow unlimited access to this place’s most advanced functions.” She indicated him toward the center of floor, where a specific console was. A few smaller, subordinate programs glanced in his direction, then scurried off on their insect-like legs to get out of his way.  
  
“I’ll see what I can do,” Frank promised as he hurried toward the console. “And… thank you,” he added without quite looking at her.  
  
“The honor is Ours,” Qsa Linex said in such a way that Frank actually felt his cheeks redden. When he turned to look over his shoulder, the Queen was gone. Either to help defend the Tower or simply relocating to someplace more secure, he had no idea.  
  
He cleared his throat and focused on the task at hand.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Christina’s ship proceeded rapidly toward the city. It wasn’t long before the ship was docked at one of the ports and the door once again opened. The Search Engine wasn’t the friendliest individual in the world; she wanted to get the entourage off as soon as possible.  
  
She directed a look of annoyance toward the sprites as Dot told the boy to stay put and “guard the ship” in her absence. The Search Engine rolled her eyes as she shut down the engine. She then picked up a copy of a ReadMe file on a datapad and attempting to tune out everything around her as she began to read.  
  
“I sense them!” Starwell exclaimed as she ran out of the ship.  
  
“Starwell, wait for us!” Dot called out.  
  
The User-sprite ignored her. “I’ve got a lock!” Starwell shouted. Then, in a silvery poof of her combined Gizmo-powers, she vanished.  
  
“She used a portal to get to Megabyte’s location!” AndrAIa realized aloud. Matrix clenched his fists and growled something incoherent.  
  
Anna Code gritted her teeth. “I’m going on ahead,” she snapped. “Cappaten, portal. Get me to Megabyte’s location!”  
  
“Anna, wait!” Dot began, but the female Guardian was already gone. Dot clenched her own fist and shook it with frustration. “Is anybody going to listen to me?” she snapped.  
  
“I’m with ya, Sis,” Matrix said. “Now come on.” He took Gun from his hip and proceeded forth.  
  
AndrAIa exchanged glances with Dot and shrugged, drew her trident, and took off after Matrix.  
  
“Fine, let’s all just rush ahead without assessing the situation first,” Dot complained under her breath as she ran after them. She had learned over the hours that sometimes it was important to act on impulse, otherwise you might end up deleted.  
  
However, there were times when she felt rushing ahead could easily lead to deletion as well. Especially in a new system that none of them had ever seen before. Still, it seemed that nobody wanted to wait.  
  
And perhaps, just this once, there was no time to wait and formulate a plan.


	86. Chapter 86

Starwell found him first.  
  
Bob looked perfectly normal, sitting on a bench in the middle of the city as if taking a break from sight-seeing. He smiled warmly as he saw her approach. “Hi there, Starwell!” he said with a little wave.  
  
She stopped and cocked her head to one side, eyeing him cautiously. “Bob, is that really you?” she asked slowly.   
  
“Sure, who else would I be?”  
  
It certainly sounded like him. But it could easily be a trick… couldn’t it? “Where’s Megabyte?” Starwell asked. “Is he still in you somewhere?”  
  
“Megabyte? Nah, I got rid of him nanos ago and he disappeared. A Guardian’s code is not something he could mess with for long.”  
  
“Huh, I see…” Starwell took a tentative step forward and narrowed her eyes. She stretched her mind, attempting to scan his code with her Gizmo powers. Something just didn’t seem right…  
  
A strangled yelp barely escaped her mouth as a strong hand suddenly grasped her throat. The form before her had changed into something larger, more metallic, and more monstrous. Megabyte.  
  
“Ah, ah, ah,” Megabyte chided in his gentlemanly way, “none of that, now. I know what you were trying to do.” He tsk-tsked. “And here I thought you might be of assistance.”  
  
Starwell gritted her teeth and clamped her hands around the arm that held her. Megabyte suddenly jerked back with a yelp, for her touch burned his bitmap. Not enough to truly harm, but it was enough to hurt.  
  
“Oh come now, you really think your party tricks are going to stop me?” Megabyte straightened and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. This time she planted her hands against his chest, but he ignored her attack even if he did flinch a bit. “You have served your purpose, now you are becoming an annoyance, nothing more.”   
  
He then slammed her face-down against the ground, smashing her against the pavement. Her vision swam as the two identities within her swirled and seemed to dance around each other for a couple of nanos. Yes, apparently she had gotten a bit too cocky.  
  
“Stop right there, virus!” another voice called out.  
  
Megabyte turned to see none other than the female Guardian standing a few meters away, holding her Keytool at the ready. He sighed, “Ah, it is you again.”  
  
“Yeah, it’s me,” Anna hissed. “No one backstabs me and gets away with it.” Her eyes narrowed into slits. “No one.”  
  
“Oh but I already have what I want,” Megabyte replied, indicating his chest. “I have a form again, and best of all I have my revenge.” He reached down and picked up Starwell’s semi-conscious form. “You wanted the User delivered to you, did you not? Here,” he held the girl out to Anna, “take her.”  
  
Anna bared her teeth. “I’ve got bigger fish to fry at the moment,” she growled. “I’ll deal with her later.”  
  
“Oh come now. Why all this fuss when I can fulfill my end of the bargain here and now?”  
  
“You never mentioned that your side of the so-called bargain meant taking over another Guardian and corrupting a system, virus.”  
  
“Then that was a lack of foresight on your part, my dear. You know better than anyone what viruses do, yes? And you have said yourself that your colleague is a fool for allowing a User to roam free.” He smiled that sadistic, cruel smile of his. “I would say that, in the end, we all get what we ask for by taking foolish risks.”  
  
Anna’s resolve faltered as his words sunk in like a Game-sword through the bitmap. A logic loop began to flow in a seamless circle within her process as her eyelids flickered.  
  
Perhaps she truly was malfunctioning in a way… perhaps she was random. It was no wonder Cappaten had chosen to leave her for a time. She had betrayed her own principles by abandoning her system to pursue a User and then she betrayed herself and her code even more by allying with a virus, one she knew deep down would betray her.  
  
Was this what she had become?  
  
Megabyte took advantage of her mental fog to attack. He knocked her several meters, sending her crashing into a couple of garbage cans on the other side of the street.  
  
She hissed through her teeth as she jumped to her feet, trying her best to ignore her throbbing bitmap. She grabbed a garbage can lid and flung it at all, which he deflected easily with a swing of his arm.  
  
“Is that the best you can do?” Megabyte chuckled.  
  
“Cappaten, power ram!”  
  
Megabyte found himself slamming against the pavement. He inhaled sharply and then pushed himself to his feet. “Really now, remember who you are really hurting when you do that,” he reminded her.  
  
“Somehow,” Anna replied darkly, “I think Bob would rather be destroyed than let you keep doing this.” She raised her arm again. “Cappaten--”  
  
“What about George?”   
  
Anna’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “What about him?” she demanded. “Speak quickly, virus!”  
  
“Wouldn’t you like to know what I did to him?” An evil smirk appeared on the virus’s face again.  
  
“What did you do?” A surge of emotions flooded Anna’s already taxed processor. Anger, fear, concern, and… guilt, for being so preoccupied that she let her husband and best friend out of her sight.  
  
“Oh nothing much,” Megabyte said almost casually as he examined his claws. “I took Starwell’s brother and your husband into the Web with me as I traveled through it to get here. I saw no further use for them, so I left them out there.”  
  
Anna Code completely lost it then. She screamed like a banshee and lunged toward the virus, ordering Cappaten to become a sharp blade.  
  
However, reckless action was exactly what Megabyte wished to provoke from her, and it was what he was ready for. He caught her as she rushed him, knocking the Cappaten-blade aside in a smooth motion.  
  
“Foolish girl,” he smirked. Then he slammed her into the pavement and stamped his foot on her back, rendering her offline and injuring her.  
  
“Back off, Megajerk!” Starwell’s voice yelled.  
  
Megabyte turned just in time to see the silvery aura brighten around her to full capacity. He barely had time to blink before a powerful burst of white-hot energy impacted his chest, sending him crashing into the nearby ground so hard that his insides seemed to rattle for five full nanos afterward.  
  
The virus literally had to pry himself out of the form-fitting crater his impact had inadvertently created.  
  
Starwell gritted her teeth and prepared for another burst of energy. This time, however, it wasn’t intended to harm but to contain. Her form once again became engulfed in that silvery aura and extended from her arms like a continuous beam of light, forming around Megabyte.  
  
It shone around the virus’s form, holding him in place like a formless hand. He struggled and thrashed against it, but there was no breaking out of it.  
  
Megabyte snarled.  
  
“Oh growl all you want,” Starwell said, sounding a bit strained. “I just gotta hold you until Matrix gets here.” She chuckled weakly. “Then he’s gonna--”  
  
“He will what?” Megabyte asked. “Hurt Bob?” His form altered into that of the Guardian, her friend.  
  
“Stop… it…” Starwell squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face away. She gritted her teeth and focused on channeling her energy.  
  
The brilliant aura around her form was starting to dim. Megabyte narrowed his eyes as he observed this. No, she wasn’t distracted like Miss Code had been… she was running low on energy. Her form was powerful with her Keytool joined in her, but would run down after a while.  
  
No doubt she would have to consume energy constantly if she wanted to keep using this kind of power.  
  
Megabyte strained against the energy barrier with renewed ambition. If it became difficult for her to hold onto him, she might run out of energy all the more quickly.  
  
For a few nanos nothing seemed to change. Then it became noticeable; the aura around her began to dim until it was barely noticeable. She gave one final burst of energy, desperately trying to hold him, but then she finally fell.  
  
The silver aura vanished entirely. Megabyte was free. The virus grinned. “Now let us see how resilient you are,” he sneered as he took a step closer.  
  
“I don’t think so.”  
  
“What?” Megabyte’s head snapped up just in time to see Matrix appear out of nowhere, followed closely by AndrAIa and Dot. Megabyte growled, “Will I never see the end of you meddlesome Mainframers?”  
  
“Not as long as we’re still processing,” Matrix said, cocking his weapon. “Gun, command line. Full delete.”  
  
“I see you have overcome my infection,” Megabyte said. “What a shame. But do you really intend to delete Bob?”  
  
Matrix’s expression became almost feral, his finger hovering above the trigger. He, along with AndrAIa and Dot, hesitated.  
  
Megabyte almost rolled his eyes. That was such an easy card to play in this situation.  
  
He grabbed Matrix by the throat. Matrix responded by kicking him in the midsection. Megabyte growled and the two of them tumbled across the ground in mass of arms and legs.  
  
AndrAIa slowly advanced with her trident at the ready. Perhaps if she could stab Megabyte just enough to wound him, and get him to leave Bob… She hated the idea, but both she and Matrix had done worse things for the sake of the greater good.  
  
For survival.  
  
A group of four CPU cars appeared, each containing six sprites in official uniforms. They were the local police, charged with protecting the city just as much as their Guardian was. “All of you, stay exactly where you are!” their captain, a slim sprite with sandy brown hair, called out.  
  
Megabyte knocked Matrix off of him with a mighty kick. The green sprite went flying and landed atop one of the CPU cars, creating a dent in the roof.  
  
AndrAIa threw her trident, directing it at Megabyte’s head. He caught it almost effortlessly and snapped it in half across his knee.  
  
“Stop right there, virus!” the police captain shouted, raising his gun. The rest of his men followed the suit.  
  
Megabyte seethed. His playing card wouldn’t work here any longer. He slowly raised his hands in the air, as if surrendering.  
  
The police kept their guns trained on him. “Put the restraints on him,” the captain ordered. “Take them all in for questioning--and call for an ambulance to attend the injured.”  
  
“I think not.” Megabyte grabbed one of the cars with his brute strength and held it up in front of him as a shield. He heard shots ringing out, some of which penetrated his back and legs; he ignored it and threw the car, rendering the captain and several nearby sprites offline.  
  
Then the virus began to run.   
  
“After him!” Several of the police officers took off after him while a few remained to tend to the injured.  
  
“I’m going after him,” Matrix stated, already moving.  
  
“Matrix, wait!” Starwell called out.  
  
Matrix turned to look at her. “I’ve got to help them get Megabyte,” he told her impatiently.  
  
“Let me help you!” she said, pushing herself into a sitting position. “Look, we all know where he’s going.”  
  
“The Tower,” AndrAIa acknowledged. Matrix clenched his fists.  
  
“Yeah,” Starwell nodded. “I don’t have much energy left, but let me help. I think I have just enough to portal you guys to the Tower. Just… go there, and I’ll join you once I find some energy.”  
  
“…Alright,” Matrix nodded.  
  
“Keep yourself safe,” Dot told the girl.  
  
Starwell gave a smile, then strained as she focused on a small tear caused by Megabyte’s ruckus. Her bitmap paled as she stabilized it into a tear, but it worked.  
  
“Come on, we don’t have much time,” AndrAIa said, already moving with Dot.  
  
“Stay out of trouble, Pup,” Matrix said with a knowing glance as he went with his sister and girlfriend.  
  
Starwell stared at the portal after they vanished through it, almost enviously. But she knew she wouldn’t be much help to them now, only a hindrance until she found some energy.  
  
“Good luck,” she whispered as the portal finally winked out of existence. A wailing siren filled the air as an ambulance approached. At least help had arrived.  
  
Another group of CPU cars had arrived. One of them landed on the ground near Starwell. A tall, feminine, golden-skinned sprite with white hair stepped out and looked around, surveying her surroundings and the situation at large.  
  
“Do you need help?” A sprite wearing a medical uniform knelt next to Starwell.  
  
“I’m okay,” Starwell breathed. “Just… low on energy.” She took a tentative step forward and found she could barely stand. She ended up stumbling against the medic, who grabbed her arms. “Oh, shall we dance?” Starwell jested as she leaned on the medic for support.  
  
“Just sit down here,” the medic told her as he lowered her to the ground. “We’ll get you an energy boost.”  
  
“What happened here?” the gold-skinned sprite demanded. Her eyes held a warmth that almost made them glow, though her stance was one of authority. Obviously she was someone who ranked higher than the local police somehow.  
  
“The virus was here,” someone spoke up. “There were some others here, too. They vanished in a portal, created by her.” The sprite who spoke pointed a digit at Starwell.  
  
“Who are you, young sprite?” the golden-skinned sprite asked, taking a step toward the girl.  
  
Starwell grunted as she shifted into a more comfortable position, folding her legs underneath her. She eyed the medic warily as he put some sort of cuff around her arm, an item that was attached to a box-shaped device by a long cord. At the press of a button, blue energy flowed from the device through the tube and surged through her arm. She released a soft gasp as the initial shock sent a jolt through her form, but then she relaxed. After a moment it felt less uncomfortable and more relieving as her strength returned to her.  
  
“Alpha Starwell,” the User-Sprite finally acknowledged the older woman. “Just got back to this system from Mainframe.”  
  
“Ah,” the older sprite’s face brightened with realization. “Then you are the first User who entered this system, many seconds ago.”  
  
“That’d be me,” Starwell acknowledged with a nod. “I brought some friends with me from Mainframe.”  
  
“Where are they now?”  
  
“I made a portal to send them to the Tower. They should be there now; they’re trying to head off Megabyte.”  
  
“Megabyte?”  
  
“A virus, Commander,” one of the police sprites said. They were still taking care of their wounded; a few of the newly arrived police sprites had already taken off in the direction that Megabyte had gone.  
  
“Yes, I received a Vid-Window about a potential threat from Qsa Linex,” the golden-skinned sprite sighed.  
  
“Who’re you?” Starwell asked. Her bitmap had brightened, becoming less pale; she was nowhere near a full recharge but she was definitely feeling better.  
  
“I am Zettabyte, the Command Dot Com of this system,” the older woman stated by way of introduction. “Now I want you to come with me to the Principal Office.”  
  
Starwell shook her head. “No way.” She ripped the energy transfusion cuff from her arm, ignoring the indignant glare from the medic. “I’ve got my strength back, I’m going to help them!”  
  
“Starwell, wait!” Zettabyte held up her hand, but the User had already raised her arms. A silvery aura formed around the girl; she didn’t form a portal, as there were no more tears about and she was simply traveling to another location within the same system anyway. Starwell vanished, teleporting herself to the Tower in a similar manner to the way Qsa Linex did.  
  
Zettabyte sighed.  
  
“How did she do that?” The medic blinked.  
  
“The wonders of a User,” Zettabyte said aloud, as though thinking mostly to herself. “Though there seemed to be something… different about her.”  
  
The medic frowned. “I don’t think she got a full recharge, Ma’am.”  
  
Zettabyte nodded in acknowledgement. “Unfortunately, I would have to agree. Let us hope that she got enough for whatever she intends to do.”


	87. Chapter 87

Everything became a flurry of activity when Matrix and the others arrived inside the Tower via Starwell’s portal. The short, worker subroutine programs were already in a tizzy; the presence of more strangers made them even more skittish. The insect-like programs had simple processors, programmed to perform tasks and follow instructions as any worker drones would. However, they disliked the presence of so many strangers within their midst at once.  
  
In truth, Qsa Linex and her security programs didn’t like it much either. Under normal circumstances the Queen would have sent her guards to quarantine the uninvited guests at the very least. Perhaps even ordered deletion, considering they were armed. But these were not normal circumstances; a dangerous threat was at large within System Watson Codec, and the Queen accepted outside aid. Especially since they accompanied her Creator and he seemed to trust them; otherwise, there would have been much more hesitancy.  
  
A powerful vibe of anticipation seemed to resonate in the very air throughout the Tower, causing an empathic sensation that was almost tangible. Matrix was no weakling by any sense of the word, nor was he easily affected by anything. Hours upon hours of being lost in the games had hardened his nerves into steel. Yet the tension around him was almost tangible; an odd sensation like sound vibrations rippling against his bitmap and grating slightly on his nerves. It was more of a mental feeling than a physical one, yet at the same time it was both.  
  
Matrix cast a brief glance at his companions, gritting his teeth. From the way they looked, it was effecting the other Mainframers as much as it was him.  
  
“Ugh,” AndrAIa exclaimed softly, pressing her hands against her ears. Her face tightened in discomfort, similar to the way she looked when she first heard the Web Creature’s cries as a child, when she first joined young Enzo in Mainframe.  
  
Obviously, this place and its empathic vibes were effecting the former Game Sprite more than everyone else, due to her enhanced senses.  
  
Qsa Linex appeared seemingly out of nowhere behind them. She stood tall, her wings folded neatly against her back. Her very presence gave off a powerful vibe that could make you quake in your shoes if she ever chose to focus all her attention (and telepathic power) on you. She emanated a nervous, agitated vibe of her own, though like any good leader she quickly masked them and seemed to get her feelings under control.  
  
After a moment she opened her beak-like mouth wide, flexing her mandibles as she released a long, song-like series of high-pitched tones, squeaks and clicks, some of which exceeded beyond the hearing range of most Sprites. Only AndrAIa heard the whole thing, even if she did not understand it. It was a complicated call, including a few layers of tones playing simultaneously; this could only be performed by a set of vocal chords. However, it wasn’t only sound, it was also mental; a telepathic call that accompanied a vocalized song-like composition.  
  
The tension in the air seemed to reduce marginally as Qsa Linex finished her brief… song, for want of a better word. The worker subroutines--those smaller, insect-like programs who were even shorter than Little Enzo--seemed calmer and more focused on their tasks. The security drones became less rigid and more alert. Then, with everything and everyone else calming down throughout the Tower, Linex herself seemed a bit more at ease as well.  
  
This provided solid proof of who truly ruled this Tower, and how much power the Queen had. Yet in the end, it was still only a taste of her full potential. No doubt any threat that came within would, perhaps, see a glimpse of her true power; however, a large part of that power was not based solely within her, but in her Hive. Her telepathic influence and empathic nature gave them all direction; she regulated the programs and empowered them as much as she helped regulate the Tower itself. Without her presence, the Tower would be in chaos.  
  
“Come,” Qsa Linex urged Dot, Matrix and AndrAIa.  
  
“Where to?” AndrAIa asked as they began to move. “Where are you taking us?”  
  
“To the control room,” Linex answered, not even glancing at them as she lead the way. “That is where the main power supply is. It is also where the actual conversion process takes place.”  
  
There was a brief flash of light, and suddenly the four sprites were teleported into the control room itself. The Mainframers started a little, momentarily taken aback by Linex’s rapid send-file capability.  
  
Dot found herself eyeing the enormous room around her with keen interest, that scientist’s glean present in her eye. A small part of her mind knew that her father would love to see this place. At the same time, this place frightened her, especially considering all that it represented… and all that it could do.  
  
“I have my security forces guarding all entrances and all of the weaker structural points throughout the Tower,” Qsa Linex said. “If the virus enters the tower and gets past my security forces…” She gave the Mainframers a determined look. “We will stop him here, together.” She raised one of hands, clenched into a fist.  
  
“Sounds like a plan,” Dot commented.  
  
“There you are!” called a voice. Heads turned to see Frank, Mouse and Ray standing near one of the consoles on the far side of the room, directly underneath the large, floating sphere that contained the Tower’s stored power. Mouse was the one who’d called out to them.  
  
The Mainframers immediately moved to join them. Qsa Linex followed them at a distance, paying more attention to her subordinates and giving them more mental instructions.  
  
“How’s it going?” Dot asked after they all exchanged greetings.  
  
“Mouse and I have managed to erect additional shielding and we made additional reinforcements to the internal defenses,” Frank answered, barely glancing up from whatever he was doing. Mouse hovered near his shoulder, eyeing his work with an attentive curiosity. The User was obviously a man who became heavily engrossed in his work easily.  
  
“Yeah, we did what we could,” Mouse nodded. “Ray did some scouting around outside and helped spot a couple of potential weaknesses.”  
  
“So I guess all we can do now is wait,” Dot sighed. She hated the waiting, to see if a plan would truly play out as she envisioned it in her mind. Megabyte was coming, there was no doubt about that. In this system, she had no real authority or people at her disposal; Qsa Linex, her defenses, and what Mouse, Frank and Ray had done were all that they could do. It was all up to the security programs and all of them, now.  
  
“If Megabyte gets here, he’ll try to go through the conversion process himself,” AndrAIa said aloud. She had her trident in hand, though she hadn’t activated it yet.   
  
“Yeah,” Matrix grunted. He had Gun in hand as well, fully charged and ready to go. “But how are we going to get him separated from Bob?”  
  
“It may be possible to quarantine him,” Qsa Linex suggested, coming up from behind them. Matrix cast her a wary glance, not liking her close proximity. She kept giving him a funny feeling.   
  
“That might work,” Dot mused. “Just tell me one thing. Is it possible to send Net-sprites through that thing?” She pointed upward. The enormous sphere that held most of the power gave off a slight glow, indicating that it was fully charged and ready for use. Just above it there was an opening in the ceiling, one that lead to the very top of the Tower. It looked like it was constructed for raw data and energy to go through that opening, either to receive or send out.  
  
“The hardware and software of my Tower is designed to bring Users into the Net,” Linex answered, “by converting them into a compressed file, a sprite-like format. Then, as long as there are no alterations in their coding, the hardware and software may return the same Users to the world outside. However…” She tilted her head, looking thoughtful. “I would not recommend its use to anyone else, especially when leaving the Net. There would be no imprint of the exact form that would exist outside the Net, no particular information on how to convert a Net-inhabitant into a being that can exist in physical reality.”  
  
“Physical reality,” Dot echoed, hearing the terminology roll off of her tongue. Bob had mentioned at one point that he had spoken to Starwell, asking her a lot of questions about what her world was like. Dot had yet to ask him about it or to ask any of the Users her own questions. Now was not really the time, but…  
  
“What kind of formats do Users have out there?” she found herself asking. She felt she needed to know, in case Megabyte somehow succeeded.   
  
“Different,” was Qsa Linex’s immediate reply. “Very different.” For a moment it seemed that she might say more, but she did not.  
  
“How different?” Dot pressed.  
  
Qsa Linex actually sighed. “It would take a lengthy amount of time to explain,” she answered. “I am uncertain how many Net-inhabitants such as yourselves are aware of even the most basic things about the User world. I would need to sit down with you and explain the concept of carbon-based life-forms, perhaps even the DNA strands unique to each User and how that may even effect the imprinting process that is stored in memory and how that could tie in with actual conversion if you really wanted to get into it. Not only that, but also--”  
  
“I think we get the idea,” Matrix interjected impatiently. “Whatever’s out there, it’s… nothing like in the Net.”  
  
“That is an accurate surmise,” Linex nodded.  
  
Any further discussion was cut off by the sound of alarms going off. Worker subroutines scattered, Frank was shouting something and Qsa Linex released an ear-splitting shriek that made AndrAIa cringe.  
  
Megabyte had entered the Tower.  
  
Right at that moment, a new portal formed somewhere outside the control room. The security drones detected it first and responded, only to find a newly arrived Alpha Starwell. Upon recognizing her as a User presence, they altered their aggressive stance into one of escort; they lead her to the control room.  
  
The Mainframers were taken aback to see her there, though there was no time to do or say much of anything. Megabyte had arrived with a small squad of freshly infected binomes and sprites from the city; he was sending his new minions in first as both a diversion and a way to soften the Tower’s security.  
  
Qsa Linex stood tall with her wings spread high and wide. Her entire being focused on everything going on within the Tower, perhaps to the extent of seeing through the eyes of all her workers and drones at once. Her rigid form twitched as each brutal blow was delivered to her Tower’s hardware, her body flinching for every security drone or worker subroutine was injured or deleted.   
  
It was as if each blow was inflicted upon her as well in a way. If her bitmap had included sweat glands she would have been soaked from head to foot. Thankfully she didn’t.  
  
“The virus is nearly here!” the Queen shouted. She spread her legs apart and raised all four of her arms, readying herself.  
  
“I’ll slow him down!” Starwell stepped forward and her hands began to glow. A bright, silvery light extended from her arms as she erected an energy barrier around the entrance.  
  
Loud thumping could be heard from the other side. “Positions, everyone!” Dot shouted, readying her pistol. Mouse had her katana at the ready as Matrix stood with Gun in hand and AndrAIa held her trident at the ready.  
  
Ray glanced about, noticing the worker subroutines. They looked very much like oversized ants, walking upright on four legs with a pair of arms extending from their upper torsos. “Better get to cover, mates,” he remarked, though he had no idea if they understood them; they did seem highly agitated, though.  
  
Qsa Linex released a shrill tone that seemed to emanate from her entire being; the workers immediately scattered and climbed up the walls, vanishing into concealed holes that only opened upon command. Otherwise an outsider would never have known the hideaways were there; the door on each one spiraled shut again after the worker subroutines vanished into them. They were safe, for the time-being.  
  
Megabyte smashed the main door from the other side, trying to get in. Starwell gritted her teeth; her barrier held. The virus hit the door again and again. A few minor dents formed and the metal shook, but the barrier kept it from opening or coming down.  
  
This went on for several nanos. Starwell’s face became strained; she began to sweat profusely after a while. Eventually she fell to one knee as she desperately held her arms up, trying to focus her steadily draining power.  
  
“Starwell,” Matrix finally growled, “drop the field.” He held Gun up indicatively. “We’ve got this.” His golden eye began to glow red in anticipation.  
  
Starwell gritted her teeth. “No,” she grated. “I can… keep… him out.” She gasped.  
  
“Stop it, Starwell,” Mouse said firmly. “We don’t need you deleting yourself, let it go.”  
  
“But…” Starwell gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, grunting as she strained.  
  
“Kid, if you keep this up you’ll go offline and he’ll still get through,” Matrix told her. More softly he added, “Let us do this together, Pup. We Mainframers stick together.”  
  
Dot flashed her big brother a small, affectionate smile from where she stood. “That’s right,” she agreed, her voice thick with resolution.  
  
Starwell heaved a sigh as she stopped what she was doing. The silver aura around her vanished as the barrier disappeared; she slumped forward, falling to her hands and knees.  
  
AndrAIa snatched the User-sprite by the arms and pulled her out of the way just as the door exploded open, knocked down by brute force.   
  
What happened next, happened in a blur. No one would ever remember the exact details, or how it happened or what order it had occurred.  
  
Matrix missed his target completely as strong, brutal fingers picked him up by the throat and nearly crushed his windpipe in a crippling grip. Just as the Renegade was thrown across the room, Mouse’s katana slashed across Megabyte’s back, tearing into his metal-like hide.  
  
Megabyte snarled and swung at Mouse. The Hacker dodged him as Matrix got up, recovering. The virus grabbed a large console and ripped it off of the floor; the Mainframers scattered as he threw it in their direction.  
  
Dot hopped onto Ray’s surf board alongside him and the two of them flew toward Megabyte. Once she was close enough Dot jumped off of the board and onto Megabyte’s back; he swatted her off like an annoying bug, sending her crashing into an approaching AndrAIa.  
  
Matrix roared as he lunged at Megabyte again; he slammed into the virus, sending both of them against the wall.  
  
“Here!” Mouse tossed the Renegade her katana; he caught it by the hilt and plunged it into Megabyte’s mid-section. The virus’s eyes went wide and he released a strangled sound as the wound made its presence known.  
  
“E-Enzo,” Bob’s voice came from Megabyte’s mouth. “What’s… happening…?”  
  
Matrix froze. “Bob?” Every instinct in his mind and body, honed from many hours lost in the games, screamed at him to finish this here and now. More importantly, not to hesitate. Yet he did hesitate.  
  
And it was enough.  
  
Megabyte roared, his fist smashing against Matrix. Sharp claws then penetrated the Renegade’s bitmap; the virus lifted Matrix above his head like a speared fish, and then dropped him.

Matrix grunted with effort, grabbing hold of the virus’s leg and pulling him off-balance. Megabyte snarled and grabbed the Renegade’s face, smashing his head against the ground. Then he stamped on the burly sprite’s chest for good measure. Matrix twitched, then went still.  
  
A battle cry erupted from Mouse’s lips as she leaped forward, a backup katana in hand. Her blade encountered his claws; the katana shattered. Megabyte caught her in mid-hair with his other hand and matter-of-factly flung her across the room.  
  
Megabyte sneered, and then he leaped into the air. His fingertips grasped the edge of the giant sphere-shaped object that hovered above all their heads. He knew that this was it, the device that powered the most important feature of the Tower; the ability to go to the User world.  
  
“NO!” someone shouted below. It sounded like Dot.  
  
“Yes,” Megabyte sneered, without even looking down. He began to climb up the side of the faceted sphere. He was close, so close, to a power far greater than even the Supercomputer. This went beyond his wildest dreams…  
  
A sharp shriek vibrated through the air. It gave off such a strong, venomous, empathic vibe that it was both physical and mental. It caused the very hardware to tremble and it nearly stunned most of the Mainframers into temporarily unconsciousness.  
  
Megabyte gripped the sphere more tightly with his claws, gritting his teeth as he held on. His willpower resisted effects of the empathic burst, though it did slow him down for a few nanos.  
  
It did, however, give Qsa Linex enough of a chance to fly skyward and catch up to him. Obviously the empathic cry was one of her last lines of defense, yet he resisted even that. The Queen hissed, her wings buzzing shrilly as she prepared to get more physical.  
  
A burst of energy impacted Megabyte’s back, between the shoulder blades. It made him falter, yet he easily held on. He quickly realized that the creature wasn’t expelling her full power; she was being careful not to damage the power source. No doubt it would cause an explosion of the worst kind if the containment field destabilized.  
  
Megabyte smirked. He continued to climb up.  
  
A powerful vibe of aggravation emanated from Linex, mixed with desperation. She snarled and flew forward, gripping Megabyte by the shoulders with one set of arms and wrapping the other pair around his waist. She clawed, she tugged, she kicked and she grappled.  
  
Megabyte held on more tightly, grunting as he struggled to keep from being pulled away. “Enough!” He maneuvered himself around just enough to aim his tubules into her bitmap.  
  
She shrieked as they penetrated her, but the infection attempt failed. Her complex coding was too complex for that to happen easily. The Queen hissed and re-doubled her efforts, releasing a minor empathic vibe directed solely at Megabyte.  
  
The virus was not readily receptive to her mental emanations, for he was not a compatible program to connect with, unlike her workers and security drones. Megabyte gritted his teeth, grunting as he resisted what would have been a projection of terror. “You won’t manipulate me, Sprite,” he grated.  
  
“Qsa Linex!” A new voice shouted. Both the virus and the Queen peered downward to see a familiar face standing below. “Out of the way, just for a nano.”  
  
It was Anna Code. Where she had been up to this moment was anyone’s guess. Now she stood just below, her teeth bared as her features locked into an enraged expression.   
  
Linex paused, as though considering.  
  
“He’s mine,” Anna hissed through her teeth. “He’s all mine!”  
  
The Queen moved out of the way. Her wings spread wide, allowing her to glide a short distance away, but she remained close by.  
  
Anna scrambled atop a console and leaped upward, maneuvering herself up one of the walls in an insect-like fashion; apparently the dimensions of this zone were a bit different. Once she was close enough, she leaped onto the side of the sphere and held on.  
  
“Cappaten,” she ordered, “containment field!”  
  
Megabyte grunted as red rings of energy engulfed him. Unfortunately he now had a body, a solid bitmap and format; he couldn’t simply release it and move to another host. He grunted, struggling.  
  
He felt Bob resisting within him. Megabyte’s power reserves were beginning to wane, giving his nemesis a slight advantage within him.  
  
No, Megabyte thought determinedly, a fresh wave of raw hatred empowering him.   
  
Anna Code had come closer now, within reach. She cried out and slugged him in the face, the torso, the shins, everything she could. Somehow though, Megabyte still clung to the side of the giant sphere, despite the binding energy and her attempts to kick him off.  
  
“GET OFF YOU SHOVELWARE!” She kicked him in an injured zone.  
  
Megabyte finally started to fall, yelling out. However, he quickly expanded his muscles as the red confinement beams tightened around him; they dissipated into nothing. He then swung around and latched himself to the side of the giant sphere, just in time before he finished falling past it.  
  
He dangled from the very bottom of it. He then looked up, noticing the entrance inside located there. He grinned.  
  
“NO!” Anna bellowed.  
  
Qsa Linex, who had been flying in circles around the giant sphere, acted then. She swooped downward toward the entry-way, fully aware that anyone who entered while the device was fully powered was at risk of being burned alive.  
  
Those who had denser coding had better chances of surviving, however. And Megabyte was a powerful virus, merged with a Guardian… that increased his chances infinitely.  
  
Megabyte clambered inside just as Linex flew after him. As a result of the virus entering, a flare of energy erupted. It was like a rock thrusting into molten lava; it would cause a wave.  
  
The energy shot through the opening of the giant sphere just as Linex attempted to enter herself; it impacted her in the torso like white hot lightening. She shrieked as she was thrown backward, her wings dented in unnatural ways upon impact. She remained completely still, partially offline.  
  
Power surged throughout the Tower as Megabyte proceeded to the very top, going straight through the sphere and up toward the roof. The energy was primed, automatically ready to send an entity through to the User world.  
  
Megabyte was winning. He was nearly there.


	88. Chapter 88

Bob was resisting him, every step of the way. Megabyte fought back, pushing and compressing Bob's consciousness. The virus would press him out of existence, if he could.  
  
He remembered watching the fights.  
  
...And unconscious Starwell...  
  
… A bruised and battered Matrix...  
  
…. Countless injured sprites....  
  
…. The infection of Mainframe...  
  
All that, and Megabyte wins?  
  
I don't think so!  
  
Bob began to shove back. With Megabyte's depleted state, he found that control was coming to him easily. All the more reason to fight back now.  
  
So he jerked and tripped up Megabyte, he forced wavering, and hung on to whatever thing he could grab on to when he had control over the virus's claws.  
  
And the virus retaliated. Megabyte would bang his head on things, injure himself purposely, as it would stop Bob for enough nanoseconds to focus on the bigger mission.   
  
Getting to the top of the Tower. And then Guards came. Wasp-like sprite creatures, probably never seen anywhere else on the Net, flew from honey comb holes, wielding electric spears and twitching insect faces.  
  
Bob was screaming, “You have to run! Get away from us!” But Megabyte was fighting. He didn't bother with infection or changing into a false-Drone, the virus wanted destruction.  
  
When an electrical pulse hit, Bob blacked out for mere moments. Megabyte, however, chuckled, and regained control.  
  
Megabyte was finished in mere moments. The only obstacle he encountered after the waves of Drones was a door that refused to open. An energy barrier prevented him from entering. He refused to give up, however; he continued to press against it, alternating between prying and slamming.

Eventually, the silver aura of the energy barrier faded and he burst through the door. Like an animal, he bounded into the heart of the control room, ignoring the cuts and bruises and the slight limp that he had given himself to keep Bob at bay.  
  
The skies of the system came into view. Megabyte grinned.  
  
And then Bob slammed into his focus, and nearly toppled both of them down.  
  
No matter the pain, the Guardian would never stay down for long. The struggle ensued again. Megabyte was already near the top by the time more drones arrived. Bob was pleading with them to leave, knowing that there wasn't anything they could have done and if they tried it would only make things worse. But no one could disobey their format, and Megabyte made quick work with them.  
  
But sadly, despite that Megabyte had ultimately won, these drones used a full on attack. Bob was left unconscious, and the virus reveled in his freedom again.  
  
Megabyte got to the top with no issue. He set himself in the proper position, and for his greater delight, Bob woke.  
  
Bob's quick realization caused Megabyte to laugh.  
  
“You're too late, Guardian!” The program commenced. Megabyte was encased.  
  
But the battle was far from over. The Converter could not completely download because of Megabyte's unique state. The process slowed considerably, and in a white area, two entities stood. Megabyte and Bob.  
  
Bob could feel it. He could feel the program slowly taking him piece by piece. It was like pins and needles all over his bitmap.  
  
Then Megabyte gave a deep chuckle. “I believe the Users call it fate, when something is handed to them on a platter,” said the virus.  
  
“Wha-” Bob didn't finish. The virus had him by the throat. There was no mental battle, and certainly no Keytool. Bob was out of anything he could have had to fight with, and no allies coming. Was everything just going to be in vain?  
  
Perhaps not...  
  
Bob kicked one of Megabyte's wounds. The virus double backed and released him. Bob landed on his hands and knees, coughing and sputtering.  
  
“You're only delaying the inevitable,” said Megabyte, who ignored his pain as he walked to the Guardian. The virus kicked him, which sent him skidding and rolling back.   
Despite the possibility of having broken internal hardware, Bob stood at a limp.  
  
He ran, and hit Megabyte in the same wound he kicked. In rage, Megabyte clawed at him, cuffing him just below the neck. Bob hit the wound again, Matrix style. On the third time, Megabyte threw to the side. Bob hit the ground, his right hand was twisted unnaturally.  
  
“You have been an annoyance for the last time.” Megabyte began to walk, but stopped suddenly. With his good arm, Bob sat up, and watched as small holes began to appear in Megabyte's form.  
  
“What did you do!?” the virus demanded.  
  
“You're too injured,” said Bob with a slight rasp, “The program can't send you back to the system, and in your current state, can't send you forward. So, with how orderly and clean its representation in the system is, it will do the only thing it can do at this point. Erase you.”  
  
The virus roared, intended to bound forward and end the Guardian there, but could no longer move. Megabyte's BIOS could no longer connect to the body below the neck, and left him a statue. Then Megabyte started laughing.  
  
“You think I'm the only one?” The once suave voice was taking on static, “You're just as ruined as I am! You foolish little Guardian, even at the end, we will follow each other.”  
  
The virus began to laugh. Voice faded into muffled static, and then faded all together as Megabyte dissolved into the light.  
  
And Bob knew he could go in peace, with Mainframe and everybody safe. He had done his duty, fulfilled his format, and he let the Conversion Hardware tear him to pieces.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Or not.  
  
Bob woke to something soft yet hard on his face. Something had changed. Something had changed severely. With his good arm, he pushed himself into a sitting position. His lungs burned with something alien. He was looking at things that he wasn't exactly sure what they were made of. It look like an office, but the textures were far more strange, which put everything off.  
  
He adverted his eyes, choosing to look at something more comforting than... this. He looked at his messed up right hand, and nearly deprocessed whatever could have been in his stomach. The skin of his bitmap had changed color, it was some sort of tan. He looked at his other hand, the same thing. He felt his face, knowing that it hadn't mutated but mystified all the same. He pulled a lock of his hair to see, it was a shade of black.  
  
“What in the Net...?” talking felt the strangest, the air here was so similar but so vastly different. He stood, with pain. He wasn't about to leave this room for anything, so he turned away from the door... and found what he could only guess was the Converter. The device slapped him, metaphorically, in the face. He wasn't in the Net, he was outside of the Net. He had gone where no sprite had gone before, out where the Users lie.  
  
He traced the Converter’s connections to a small device, though considerably big. A monitor, and a metal box-like machine. He felt sick but fascinated. This... this was the thing that allowed Users to do as they pleased with systems. No... This was a system in itself. He examined the keyboard, the mouse, and the active monitor. On its screen, programs, so similar to VidWindows, were playing. They spoke in a language he couldn't understand, but he understood their purpose.  
  
He had been downloaded, simple as that.  
  
Bob let out a breath he had been holding. All the answers to Cyberspace, and only more questions to fill the void.  
  
He used the mouse, and clicked a button on the screen, after realizing that he couldn't interact with the monitor alone. A window appeared, and though he couldn't read it, he knew what it was intending.  
  
He stood in front of the converter, and waited. His eyes darted toward a clock on the wall, noticing the hand that moved frequently. Part of his mind counted the movements while he waited for the converter to do its thing.  
  
The hand moved about thirty times before the device lit up with a soft beeping sound. After that, everything went black.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Five seconds had passed since the merged form of Bob and Megabyte disappeared.  
  
To anyone outside the Net, that would have barely been any time at all. To anyone within the Net, however--particularly inside System Watson Codec--a lot of things happened.  
  
Once Qsa Linex recovered from her battle--and used a diagnostic program to check her over and repair the damage to her wings and torso--she immediately began to oversee repairs to her Tower, with the aid of Frank and even Mouse. The firmware itself was fine but there was some minor software damage here and there, thanks to the battle that took place within.  
  
Linex did her best to tend to the damaged or fragmented programs and subroutines. Whomever could not be repaired were efficiently deleted by the Queen, mainly the ones too injured or fragmented to help. It was a cold duty which she did not enjoy, nor did she indulge in guilt or remorse. It was simply something that needed to be done to ensure the safety and smooth function of the conversion device.  
  
While Linex attended to that, Frank and Mouse worked hard to get a few other things sorted out. When Bob/Megabyte had gone through the conversion process out of the Net, it had caused so many errors that the Tower nearly went offline. It was only thanks to Frank’s extensive knowledge of the hardware and software and Mouse’s keen hacking skills that kept it from crashing.  
  
Basically, the converter had been forced to perform a function it had never been designed to do. Mouse took charge of diverting power and keeping the energy levels up while Frank corrected any bugs and software malfunctions.  
  
Once they were finished, Frank looked upon the hacker with admiration. He had never conceived that a mere program could work so efficiently with such advanced algorithms.  
  
“Looks like we got it taken care of,” Mouse said aloud with a breath of relief as she finished keying in a final line of code. “Everything should be okay now.”  
  
“Yeah,” Frank agreed with a nod. He was still giving the female sprite an odd look.  
  
“Whatcha lookin’ at me like that for?” Mouse asked.  
  
“Are you sure you’re not a User?” Frank found himself asking, only half kidding.  
  
Mouse raised an eyebrow, then gave a chuckle. “Nah. I’m just very good at what I do.” There was a light boast in her tone, though the sprite mostly seemed to be speaking fact. She certainly didn’t lack confidence in her abilities, but she didn’t let it go to her head too much either.  
  
“Yeah, you are,” Frank acknowledged with a smile and a nod.  
  
“I must say I’ve never been compared to a User before, though.” Mouse stroked her chin in thought. “Well, there was that one system where a tribe of primitive processes thought I was a User. They were prepared to worship me, but…” She shrugged. “I don’t really go for that kind of thing. I left that system after my task was complete.”  
  
“Some people would love that kind of attention,” Frank mused. “You could have lived like a queen. Or a goddess.”  
  
“Well, you are a User,” Mouse said. “Is that the kind of attention you would want, if you could get it?”  
  
Frank was already shaking his head. “I prefer dealing with reality,” he answered after a moment. “Sometimes it’s nice to dream about things like that, I suppose. But in the end a self-made paradise doesn’t last forever.”  
  
Right at that moment, Qsa Linex appeared out of nowhere. Her presence interrupted any further conversation as she spoke. “I have news,” she said. “The Guardian still lives.”  
  
Both Frank and Mouse did a double-take. “Bob’s alive?” the hacker-sprite exclaimed.  
  
Linex dipped her head in a short nod. “Indeed. It would seem that he did the impossible.” Her wings buzzed shrilly with excitement as though she could scarcely believe it herself.  
  
“What?” Mouse demanded. “Where is he?”  
  
“Oh my God,” Frank breathed. “Linex, are you trying to us that he’s…?”  
  
“Yes,” Linex replied. “Somehow Guardian Bob has been converted into a flesh-being. He is currently outside the Net.”  
  
“Why I do declare,” Mouse said with a laugh of relief and happiness. “Bob’s always been a survivor but I never would have imagined he would make it out there.”  
  
“I didn’t think this was possible!” Frank all but gasped. “Though this would explain why the hardware threw such a fit. It would also explain why the software nearly crashed…”  
  
“I have seen Bob outside the Net. He seeks to return, from what I have observed,” Qsa Linex informed them. “The Tower is powering up, it will bring him back within the next thirty seconds.”  
  
“Well, at least he won’t have a long wait,” Frank commented.  
  
“I still don’t quite know how time works where you come from,” Mouse said, “but here in the Net, thirty seconds is--”  
  
“All that we can do is wait,” Qsa Linex interjected. “Just take comfort in the fact that he will return.”  
  
“I’ll go tell the others,” Mouse volunteered. The other Mainframers were currently resting in the guest rooms of the Tower, recovering from minor injuries they had sustained during the battle with Megabyte. Matrix had gotten it the worst since he and Megabyte went hand to hand within the Tower. Starwell was no doubt resting as well.  
  
After the hacker left, Frank turned to Linex. “Have you spoken with anyone?” he asked. “Has there been any word about… Greg?” His throat tightened.  
  
The Queen’s wings drooped somewhat, a rare indicator of remorse and a sense of personal failure. “I had a discussion with Guardian Anna Code and Command Dot Com Zettabyte half a second ago,” she began softly.  
  
“Oh?” Frank felt his stomach tie itself into a knot. He could already tell he wasn’t going to like this.  
  
“Well, there is both good news and bad news,” Linex said slowly.  
  
“Then give me the bad news first.”  
  
“Very well. The bad news is that, apparently, Megabyte took two individuals when him as he left Mainframe to reach this system through the Web.” Linex bowed her head. “Those two sprites were George Mount and your nephew.”  
  
“The Web… but what does that mean?”  
  
“Ah. The Web is another layer of cyberspace,” Linex explained for his benefit. “The Net is this layer of cyberspace, the connection between the systems. The Web is a chaotic place, full of data storms and vicious creatures. I have… glimpsed it.”  
  
“You’re telling me that my nephew is trapped out there?”  
  
“It is a deadly place… I am unsure if he could even survive there.” Linex placed a gentle hand on her creator’s shoulder. “I am so sorry.”  
  
“You said you’ve got good news, too. I don’t see how it’ll make what you told me any better,” Frank said tersely. How was he going to explain the loss of his nephew to his brother and sister-in-law? He could simply say that the kid ran away from home or something. That happened sometimes; kids vanished and were never found. But that would never alleviate the guilt of his failure.  
  
Linex squeezed his shoulder. “I have some bad news about Starwell as well,” she added quietly.  
  
Now Frank clenched his fists at his sides. “So help me, if you say she can’t return home with me…”  
  
“She cannot,” Linex stated bluntly. She saw no reason to beat around the bush.  
  
“Oh for the love of Christ!” For just a moment, Frank looked as though he might try to throttle her, but he restrained himself… barely. “Why the hell not?!”  
  
“I will explain in a moment,” Linex said gently but firmly. “Come with me.” She turned away and moved toward the door, her crystal-like wings going temporarily erect as they stretched out behind her.  
  
“Now just a moment,” Frank snapped. “You drop this bombshell on me and expect to take me somewhere? I just…” He turned away, squeezing his eyes shut. “I need a moment.” He focused on his breathing. In, out. In, out. Count to ten…  
  
Frank counted to ten in English and then mentally counted to twenty-five in Latin. Then, just to be safe, he counted to five in French. That took longer because he had to remember how.  
  
By the time he turned back to Linex, she was standing in the doorway she wanted him to follow her through. Her wings had lost their stiffness and folded moth-like on her back.  
  
“I have good news,” she repeated in a quiet, patient voice.  
  
“It better be really, really good news,” Frank stated. Nothing could possibly make up for the terrible news he had just been told.  
  
Qsa Linex gave off a strong vibe of hope. It was as if she truly knew something that he did not, something that would make a huge difference in the seemingly hopeless situation.  
  
“Come with me.” She motioned him to follow her.  
  
Guess I’ve got nothing left to lose at this point. Frank sighed and hung his head as he started to follow her.


	89. Chapter 89

“So, how’re you doing?” Starwell grinned. She spoke with a jovial cheerfulness that was almost unnerving.  
  
“I’m mending, Pup,” Matrix replied. He was currently sitting on the edge of his bed in the guest room he had claimed. AndrAIa was in a different room keeping an eye on Little Enzo.  
  
“Mending after defending,” Starwell chuckled. “Spoken like a true Guardian!” She punched him in the shoulder.  
  
Matrix grunted as she hit a tender spot. He was still trying to get used to the change in her personality. It seemed that Starwell’s fusion with Gizmo had altered both the User and the Keytool, at least to some degree. Starwell seemed happier and more at home in the Net than she did before, and Gizmo seemed to have a bit less attitude… unless it was simply dormant for the moment.  
  
In the end, the merged entity that stood before him seemed far more happy-go-lucky with only a touch of cockiness. She also had a tendency to act a bit goofy once in a while, sometimes to the point of getting hyper and acting random. Thankfully though, those moments seemed few and far between. For now, at least.  
  
Perhaps she would grow out of it as she got older, assuming the Gizmo side of her learned to control itself better.  
  
“I wonder how Bob’s doing,” Matrix mused. Mouse had stopped by a few nanos ago and told them to news.  
  
Starwell beamed and sat down on the corner of his bed. “Don’t worry,” she told him. “If he just stands there and waits for thirty seconds, that’s hardly any time in the User world. Nothing will happen to him.”  
  
In truth, Matrix wasn’t anymore worried for Bob than he would worry about AndrAIa or Frisket. The Guardian had been through many scrapes and survived, and that included even the Web. However, the thought of Bob being outside the Net, where Users lived… that was a new one, even for a Mainframer.   
  
“What’s it like, out there?” Matrix found himself asking.  
  
Starwell pursed her lips and shrugged. “Kinda like being in a system, but different. I guess you’d have to be there to really understand.”  
  
“No thanks,” Matrix grumbled. He was hardly a coward, nor did he shy away from new and strange situations or places. That did not mean the Renegade had any desire to plunge into the User world, though.  
  
One of the subroutines entered the room just then, giving a soft buzz to announce its presence.  
  
“What do you want?” Matrix asked stiffly. It was one of the smaller insectoids classified as a worker subroutine, mostly a harmless drone. Its head would barely extend above the Renegade’s beltline when it drew itself to its full height and it had no combat abilities to speak of. The best defense the creature had was the ability to bite with a pair of strong, sharp jaws.  
  
The fact that the creature spoke its own language rather than Net Standard made it somewhat more unnerving, especially since the worker subroutines never interacted with the visitors unless they had a message from their Queen or perhaps some other matter to attend to.  
  
The creature made a series of gestures and then a VidWindow popped up. The enlarged face of Guardian Anna Code appeared on it. The subroutine gave a couple of final clicks and backed out of the room, its current function complete; it scurried off to attend to whatever its next task might be.  
  
“Starwell,” Anna greeted in a cool tone. Her eyes narrowed fractionally as she glanced at the Renegade. “Matrix,” she acknowledged with a grunt.  
  
“Code,” Matrix folded his arms. “You want something?”  
  
“To speak to Starwell, nothing more.”  
  
Starwell cupped a hand behind her ear and leaned toward the VidWindow in an overdramatic fashion. “I’m listening,” she said in a light, sing-song voice.  
  
Anna rolled her eyes. “I’m calling off the duel,” she stated simply. “That is all I wanted to say.” Her hand moved as she prepared to close the VidWindow.  
  
“What duel?” Matrix wanted to know. Anna’s arm froze and she hesitated.  
  
“Oh, yeah.” Starwell shrugged and explained to her friend. “Back in Mainframe, me and Anna agreed to work together to stop Megabyte after the infection hit… on the sole condition that we duel to deletion afterwards.”  
  
“Huh.” Matrix took a nano to process this, then he cast the rogue Guardian a wary glance. “So, why are you backing out?” he asked. “I thought you’ve been dying for a chance to duke it out with her.” He was not overly concerned either way. The kid had full access to Gizmo’s powers now, plus he understood better than anyone that sometimes the only way to make a problem go away was to face it head-on.  
  
But… why was Anna Code canceling the agreement?  
  
Anna sighed. “Let’s just say I had a… long talk with the Queen of that blasted Tower.”  
  
“So?” Matrix said.  
  
“So,” Anna snipped, “I learned what happens if a User… dies within a system.” Her eyes narrowed into slits. “A User’s presence runs very deep in a system’s registry, possibly even deeper than an Administrative Program. If I harmed you or destroyed you, User, I run the risk of destroying my city.” Her head bowed. “I don’t like Users in the Net, but… it seems I cannot act against you.”  
  
“Sorry to disappoint you,” was all Starwell said.  
  
“Just get out of my system,” Anna growled. “Or stay out of my city.” With that, the VidWindow winked out of existence.  
  
“What do you know about that,” Starwell blinked. “I thought she’d never give up.”  
  
Matrix grunted. “Just shows she’s not completely random,” he commented.

0o0o0o0o0  
  
The seconds that passed by were a long time for the Net-dwellers, yet such a short time for one who stood outside the Net.  
  
Bob was no longer outside the Net. He found himself back in his familiar realm where his senses processed normality. A soft firmness beneath him revealed that he was resting on a bed, in the Hive of the Converter.  
  
His eyelids flickered and his vision quickly cleared. He noticed that he was not alone in the room; he had awoken with everyone standing over him.  
  
"Bob!" He heard a familiar voice calling his name. He forced eyelids open to see a pretty green face with short black hair. "Bob, are you alright?"   
  
Dot Matrix sat on the edge of the bed. There were lines of worry written under her eyes as well as fatigue.   
  
"Dot...?" No infection, no influence, and nothing of the User World's touch, just regular Dot. "...What happened?"  
  
The Command Dot Com of Mainframe smiled with relief. "Thank the User you're alright!" Suddenly realizing what she'd said aloud, she cast a wry glance in Frank's direction. The User was standing nearby, with a few others.  
  
"Apparently," Dot continued as she turned back to Bob, "you and Megabyte got sent into the User world."  
  
"It takes thirty seconds for this device to recharge itself," Frank put in, gesturing at the general area around himself. "Well, more than that if you want a full recharge, but thirty seconds is enough.” He folded his arms and muttered, “Just barely.”  
  
"So we waited... and hoped you would return." Dot swallowed, and she grasped the Guardian's hand and squeezed it. "This time..." She leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "I didn't give up hoping. I knew you would come back to me."  
  
"Megabyte?" Bob gave a pain smile, "No. He didn't come. He's gone. He's gone for good."  
  
"Are you sure?" Matrix asked as he stepped closer, into view. Starwell moved next to him, giving a little wave as she came closer.  
  
"I'm sure. I thought I was going to go with him too."  
  
"That's great!" Starwell beamed as she stepped closer. She had something in her hand.  
  
"Here, somebody has missed you!" She held out Glitch to the Guardian. "And don't let him tell you otherwise," she winked knowingly.  
  
The Keytool lifted from Starwell's grasp, and landed on Bob's arm. It felt better, being together.  
  
Bob looked at Starwell, "Starwell what in the Net-" He stopped, "Oh, don't tell me."  
  
Matrix remained in silence, his arms crossed.  
  
Starwell clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling laughter.  
  
"You guessed it right, Bob." Mouse said.  
  
"Yeah... she's like a whole different person, literally." Frank said. He spoke with the air of someone who'd had to put up with her merged personality far too much.  
  
"She and Gizmo fused," said Bob, who rolled his eyes and smiled, "I know how it feels."  
  
"Yeah," Starwell nodded, releasing another fit of giggles. Then she quickly sobered.  
  
"It also means something else..." She took a deep breath. "Eh..." She looked at her Uncle Frank.  
  
Frank let out a puff of breath. "I've already discussed this topic within an inch of its life." He headed toward the door. "I'll be back in a nano." With that, he was gone.  
  
Starwell turned back to Bob. "You tell him, Dot," she requested, almost meekly.  
  
"Yeah... Starwell can't go home," Dot informed the Guardian, a fact that everybody else knew by now. "We're planning to take her back to Mainframe, with us."  
  
Bob let out a breath, "...Yeah. Okay."  
  
Matrix grumbled something.  
  
"But I am going home!" Starwell said suddenly. "That is... well I'm not going home, but I still am. In a way."  
  
Bob's eyes furrowed, "How?"  
  
As if on cue, Frank re-entered the room with two young sprites in tow; another Starwell, and her brother. Both of the kids looked uncertain.  
  
"That's how," the first Starwell said, glancing toward her copy--and her brother. "My brother is lost somewhere, we don't know where. And I can't go home, so..."  
  
"So," Frank supplied, "I asked Qsa Linex--ah, she's the Queen Bee around here--to access the memory storage." He folded his arms and gave Bob a meaningful look. "While we were waiting to see if you'd return, we managed to compile an exact copy of my niece and nephew."  
  
"Yeah, so at least one of me can go home and have a normal life," the original Starwell nodded. "I guess I gave that up when I... merged with Gizmo."  
  
The second Starwell's eyes darted around the room. "I really want to go home as soon as possible," she said quietly.  
  
Greg was hiding behind Frank. "Uncle Frank," the boy whispered, "he still scares me." He indicated Matrix.  
  
The original Starwell smirked. "You shouldn't have talked so much about winning so many games, Squirt."  
  
Frank glanced skyward. He could feel another headache coming on.  
  
Matrix shot the boy a glare. To most, it would seem that Matrix hated the boy.  
  
For Bob, he knew better. Matrix was more or less giving the kid a hard time. He probably didn't even think much of the kid any how, User or not. Matrix knew better than he looked.  
  
Bob pressed his lips into a line, "I'm sorry, then. I couldn't get you home."  
  
"Well, in a way... I think you did," the original Starwell said with a wink. "Indirectly anyway. You and Megabyte kinda lead all of us here, and now my copy gets to go home."  
  
"Uncle Frank... can we get out of here now?" Greg practically whimpered to Frank.  
  
Frank gave a little nod. "Sure," he said. "I'll take you back to your room, for now." He knew that it would be another thirty seconds or so before he, Greg and Hannah could return to the User world. Bob had used up the supply of energy, again, when he returned to the Net.  
  
Greg practically ran out of the room, casting another fearful glance in Matrix's direction. "Greg, wait!" Frank barked, picking up his pace to catch up with the boy. The last thing any of them needed was for Greg to wander into the wrong area and get one of the Drones riled up again.  
  
Starwell's copy watched them leave, then she glanced around at the others. She locked eyes with the original.  
  
"Yeah, um... I'll be going now." The copy ran out of the room.  
  
The original Starwell watched her go. "I don't think she's comfortable around me," she commented.  
  
"Yeah, sure," Bob gave in, there wasn't anything he could do.  
  
"Should I go after him?" asked Matrix. It wasn't in his usual angry tone, or energetic. He seemed tired and awkward.  
  
Starwell shrugged. "I think Uncle Frank can handle him... as long as he doesn't bother the Drones again."  
  
"If it becomes an issue, it will be dealt with," a different voice said. "It is as simple as that."  
  
Heads turned to see Qsa Linex entering the room. She was taller than sprites and, despite her insectoid appearance, she somehow had the grace and elegance of a lady; even a Queen. Yet there was power in her stance, a strength and authority that was kept in check by her will alone.  
  
She was the ruler here, there was no doubt of that. A single command from her could easily send the swarms over all of them. However, she regarded the foreign sprites--and especially the Users--as guests.  
  
Of course, Frank was the one who'd created her, something she was deeply grateful for. Any who accompanied him or his family were welcome... even if she was wary of Greg and his antics.  
  
Little Enzo hadn’t exactly enabled her to lower her guard, either.  
  
"Congratulations, Guardian," Qsa Linex addressed Bob. "You are the first Net-inhabitant to enter the User world, and you returned." Everything about the way she said that exuded awe.  
  
Dot was smiling. "Bob," she said, as if the significance was just starting to set in, "what was it like... out there?" Her voice was traced with awe and intrigue. She knew her father would love to hear about this when they got back to Mainframe.  
  
Matrix returned into a hard expression. He wasn't comfortable with the strange insect sprite.  
  
Bob blinked. He still remembered it, and how alien it all was. He looked down at his bandaged hand and chest. He shook his head when he realized he had been shivering. “It was... Different."  
  
Qsa Linex cocked her head to one side. "It is... a place I wish I could see." She glanced skyward for a nano, as though attempting to glimpse something she couldn't see. "But," she breathed, "I cannot, even if it is possible. My presence is required here, and my purpose is to be here."  
  
"Meaning this place might fall apart without you," Starwell jibed. "Kinda like Mainframe without Dot. Oh!" She feigned a horrified expression. "Dot, you've been gone from Mainframe for thirty seconds! The System's probably crashed without you!"  
  
"Oh, ho, ho," Dot said sarcastically. "I've been in touch with Phong and my staff every few milliseconds. Who says I can't regulate the System from here?" She winked.  
  
"That's Dot for ya," Mouse smiled.  
  
"Yeah, she can handle her System from any System," AndrAIa concurred.  
  
"Good ol' Dot," Bob said with a laugh. Then he coughed painfully.  
  
"Now you just take it easy," Dot told him firmly. "We're going to stay here long enough for you to get back on your feet, then we're going back to Mainframe."  
  
Qsa Linex suddenly glanced sharply in another direction. She tilted her head as though listening to something only she could hear. Then her mandibles twitched, and she opened her beak-like mouth to release a short, shrill sound; it proceeded into a range most sprites couldn't perceive.  
  
AndrAIa grimaced and covered her ears.  
  
Qsa Linex cast her an apologetic glance. "I must go," she said, already moving out of the room.  
  
"When we leave here, I am not going to miss that noise," AndrAIa remarked, rubbing her temples.  
  
At Bob's confused look, Starwell explained. "The bug-people here speak their own language, and it's uh..."  
  
"It exceeds our normal hearing range," Dot said. "At least, for most of us." She cast a sympathetic glance at AndrAIa.  
  
"I've learned to tune them out for the most part," AndrAIa supplied. "But it still gets to me if one of them does it while I'm in the same room."  
  
Matrix walked towards AndrAIa and stood by her.  
  
"So, how're you feeling, Bob?" Starwell asked. She still seemed relatively cheerful, even for someone who knew full well she could never go home. Perhaps merging with Gizmo had done more for her than it originally seemed.  
  
"Like I just entered the Web again, if I'm honest."  
  
"You'll get better. You're a survivor, Bob. I can tell." Starwell grinned at him.  
  
"We all are," AndrAIa supplied, giving Matrix a knowing look.  
  
"Yeah, that's what we are,” Matrix concurred.  
  
A couple of nanos passed, and then Qsa Linex re-entered the room. This time she was accompanied by a pair of her soldiers. They were nearly as tall as her and they each had a single pair of wings. The main difference between the soldiers and their Queen was that the guards did not wear visors, plus they had an enormous set of jaws.   
  
"I wish to speak to all of you, sprites of Mainframe," Qsa Linex addressed the room at large. She spared AndrAIa's sensitive ears by simply casting a glance at her guards; they stepped outside to wait for her there.  
  
"What's up, Queenie?" Starwell asked.  
  
If Qsa Linex found that form of address inappropriate or disrespectful, she showed no indication of being bothered by it. "Mainframers," she addressed the room at large again, "I believe it is time for you to leave."  
  
Bob sat up, painfully. “What came up?” he asked.  
  
Having four arms, Qsa Linex had the ability to fold her arms and place a pair of hands on her hips at the same time. "There is simply no reason for you Mainframers to remain now that you have returned, Guardian Bob."  
  
"What, you're that anxious to see us go?" Starwell asked.  
  
Linex looked directly at her. "I will have enough to contend with for the next thirty seconds," she said, "until your Uncle, your brother, and your copy can return home."  
  
The Queen's stance relaxed a bit, becoming less rigid. "Don't mistake my intentions. I have no real problem with any of you being here. However..." She glanced around the room. "Is there really any reason for any of you to remain here any longer?"  
  
"No, no there isn't." Bob stood, and he felt his hardware creek with his weight, and he finally felt everything. Every electrical burn, every bruise, scratch, cut, scar, and everything felt a little out of place, likely from Megabyte's... influence.  
  
"Then," Qsa Linex replied, "with all due respect, it would please me if you depart." She stepped toward the door and gestured her guards back inside. As the pair came back in, the Queen regarded each of the Mainframers for a nano.  
  
"I wish all of you well," she told them sincerely, "and I hope your return to your System is uneventful." She gave a little bow of her head. "Young User," she addressed Starwell, "may you find a place and a new purpose among the Mainframers."  
  
With that, the Queen was gone.  
  
The pair of guards waited patiently, ready to escort the Mainframers out.  
  
"I guess we've worn out our welcome," Mouse commented.  
  
"You sure you feel up to traveling, Bob?" Dot asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm ready." The Guardian pushed himself to his feet and stepped forward, waving off Dot’s attempt to assist him. Nevertheless, it felt weird walking. It felt very weird. “Let’s go,” he smiled, and Dot nodded as she returned the smile, apparently satisfied that he could manage on his own.


	90. Chapter 90

As the entourage walked out of the room and down the corridor, one thing became plainly obvious. Apparently Qsa Linex was the only program within the Tower who could speak Net-Standard.  
  
The two guards walked alongside the group as they walked, indicating which way they should go with simple gestures. Occasionally the two of them would chirp or shriek in their own language to each other. Some of the sounds could be heard by the sprites, others ranged into a frequency that only AndrAIa could hear.  
  
"Wish I knew what they were saying," Starwell remarked to no one in particular.   
  
"I chatted with their Queen a few seconds ago," Mouse commented aloud. "It seems that their communication is more than just sounds. It's almost... telepathic."  
  
"How does that work?" AndrAIa asked.  
  
"I don't really know." Mouse shrugged. "Don't quite understand it."  
  
"No experience there," said Bob. He was limping, but not too severely.  
  
"So... when we get back to Mainframe," Starwell began, then hesitated. She swallowed, almost nervously. "Um, what should I do? I mean, since I'm going to spend the rest of my life there."  
  
"You could go to school," Dot suggested. "I can think of a few classes that would benefit you and bring you up to date on things you may not know."  
  
"Yeah, school," Starwell sighed.  
  
"Just remember, you don't necessarily learn everything from sitting in a classroom," AndrAIa stated thoughtfully.  
  
"I know an apartment you can stay at, but you'll need a job," said Bob.  
  
"You could work at the diner," said Matrix.  
  
Starwell considered for a nano, then she smiled. "Sounds good to me," she said.  
  
"Hannah!"  
  
One of the guards gave a little hiss as Frank came running up to the group. Otherwise the insectoids didn't acknowledge the other User.  
  
"Linex told me you all are leaving," Frank said, panting as he came up to them.   
  
"Yeah, we are," Starwell nodded. "I guess it doesn't matter though. I mean... you still have another me."  
  
"Yeah, I do." Frank paused, inhaling deeply and letting it out slowly. "Look, just..." He stopped. Suddenly it seemed as though no words could possibly do justice in this situation.  
  
Instead of trying to say anything he embraced her. She said nothing either; she simply hugged him back.  
  
"Take care of yourself, Uncle Frank," she whispered as they pulled back from each other.  
  
Frank simply nodded. For once, he couldn't think of anything to say. In fact he didn't trust himself to say much; he felt his throat tighten with emotion. "Goodbye, kiddo." Then he turned and regarded the other sprites. Somehow, his gaze settled on Matrix, as if he'd long since sensed the friendship that existed between them.  
  
"You listen to me." Frank stepped closer to Matrix and looked the green-skinned sprite straight in the eye. "You look after her, you hear? You make sure she stays out of trouble. That she... stays safe."  
  
“I’ll look after the Pup,” Matrix nodded. “Don’t worry.”  
  
"Pup," Frank repeated, shaking his head. "Before all of you leave, could somebody please explain where my niece got the nickname ‘Pup’?"  
  
Starwell smirked. "I turned into a werewolf in my first Game," she replied.  
  
"Uh.... what?" Frank's eyelids flickered.  
  
“Same here,” said Matrix, with a ghost of a smile. “That and she’s just a kid.”  
  
"Normally I'd press for details," Frank said, "but... I think the Queen of this Hive wants you guys to go."  
  
"Yeah, it appears we've worn out our welcome," Mouse said.  
  
One of the insectoid guards made an incoherent sound.  
  
"We'll take care of Starwell, don't worry," Dot said. "She already has a job lined up at my Diner and a place to stay."  
  
Frank nodded. Then he let out a breath. "Well, Hannah," he said, turned back to his niece, "I... oh hell, it doesn't feel right leaving you here while I'm taking your copy home. It feels like I'm replacing you."  
  
"Don't worry about me, Uncle Frank." Starwell hugged her Uncle again. "I... I mean she will be fine. Besides," she mused aloud, "the other me is probably luckier. She hasn't been through all of the hell I've been through, or seen all the weird things I've seen. She can go back home, to my life... un-scarred."  
  
"Still... doesn't seem right." Frank said.  
  
"Hey, I feel like I belong here now." Starwell wrapped her arms around herself. "I've got Gizmo in me. I feel more at home in the Net than I ever have."  
  
"Then I guess I can go home with that comfort." Frank gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Have a good life, kiddo."  
  
"Goodbye, Uncle Frank."  
  
Bob watched in silence. It was never easy saying goodbye to family.  
  
Starwell stared after her Uncle for a long moment. A short hiss from one of the insectoids got her attention; they proceeded to move.  
  
"Where's Enzo?" Dot asked suddenly.  
  
The two guards looked at her, and then they exchanged glances. It was difficult to read the expressions on their alien faces, but it seemed they were sharing knowing looks.  
  
As if on cue, another insectoid appeared from a separate hallway, carrying the young green sprite. "Hey, put me down! No fair!"   
  
“No wonder Linex wants us out," Mouse quipped. "She's got her hands full enough already with Greg." Then she eyed Starwell. "Not that you--or more specifically, the Gizmo side of you--helped much either, Sugar."  
  
"Are we still talking about that incident that happened twelve seconds ago?" Starwell rolled her eyes. "That was an accident."  
  
“What happened?” Bob asked.  
  
Starwell said nothing. However, there was a distinct, mischievous twinkle in her eyes that was definitely Gizmo.  
  
"Don't ask," AndrAIa said firmly.  
  
Dot took Enzo by the arm as they continued moving. Soon they arrived at the lowest level of the Tower, where the guards promptly escorted them to the exit.  
  
As they approached the exit, the guards stopped and began to fall back. The Tower was their domain, after all. Their duties and their formats did not permit them to leave, especially not without cause.  
  
The Mainframers filed out of the doorway onto a ridge. The Energy Sea surrounded them in all directions. The main city could be seen off in the distance.  
  
But any energy sea was the ideal place to find tears. As if on cue, a tear appeared a short distance away.  
  
Starwell turned to look at Bob. "Well, Guardian," she winked, "you wanna do the honor, or shall I?"  
  
Bob smiled. “Go ahead, User.”  
  
Starwell grinned, then she turned and stepped ahead of the others. A silvery aura formed around her, as it always did when she accessed her Gizmo powers. Silver energy shot forth from her hands, stabilizing the tear into a portal to Mainframe.  
  
A familiar view of the city could be seen inside the sphere. She took in a deep breath, knowing that she was going.... home. Her new home.  
  
She cast a brief glance behind her, at the Tower. She mouthed the word "Goodbye," as if saying farewell to her family... and her entire life outside the Net.   
  
Then, as if embracing her permanent residency within the Net, she turned toward the Portal and jumped through it.  
  
She landed softly on her feet, feeling the familiar concrete beneath her boots. She glanced around the city, ignoring the others as they came through the portal.  
  
So, this is Home now, she thought.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Frank Forbes entered the control room of the Tower in a casual stride, his hands folded behind his back. Since he was the acknowledged Creator of hardware he walked within, along with everything and everyone inside of it, the sentient programs permitted him to go wherever he pleased.  
  
Besides, he showed no malicious intent and no one considered him a threat. After all, why would the one who created all of this have any interest in threatening his own handiwork that he himself spent so much care and effort in perfecting?  
  
A few of the working subprograms glanced up from their workstations and maintenance tasks as he entered. For the most part, many of these smaller programs seemed more robotic than self-aware; it made Frank wonder if they felt anything about him or his presence. Perhaps they were simply registering the fact that he was in the room before going about their work.  
  
You never know, though, he thought as he strolled deeper into the enormous room. There are people you’d think are ignoring everything just because they’re quiet… then it turns out they heard every word you said. Frank had learned a long time ago never to rule out any possibility.  
  
He moved until he stood directly underneath the large, floating sphere-like object in the center of the room. His keen eye observed the bluish glow through the transparent circle on the bottom of it, just above his head. The intensity of the light was still quite dim, which meant it was operating on bare minimum power.  
  
Frank sighed. Of course he already knew it would require another thirty seconds to finish recharging. If Bob hadn’t gotten himself sent outside the Net, Frank and the kids might have been home already.  
  
He frowned. Part of him wondered how it was possible for Bob, a Guardian program who was unregistered in the Tower, to be converted and sent outside the Net if the original Hannah could not. Perhaps it was some kind of fluke, or perhaps it was one of the fail-safes built into the Hardware.   
  
Either way it wasn’t worth the risk. There was no point in sending a User who now had a strange mixture of coding outside the Net; there was no telling what that might do to her if she became a carbon-based entity again.  
  
Perhaps that was the entire point. Everyone knew it was too risky to attempt, especially Qsa Linex.  
  
It was better for the Starwell who’d merged with that Keytool to live out the rest of her existence in the Net. She was lucky in her own way, especially since she had already made friends and found a place for herself.  
  
“You seem pre-occupied.”  
  
Frank started slightly. He hadn’t even noticed anyone approach. “Just thinking I guess,” he acknowledged with a forced smile.  
  
Qsa Linex angled her head as if scrutinizing his features. “There are many thoughts that any individual can have, especially those with the ability to process highly complex ideas.” She seemed curious. “What specifically are you thinking about now?”  
  
Frank couldn’t help but smile at that. “I’m thinking about Home,” he said after a moment. “I’m also thinking about my niece, the one who just left for Mainframe.”  
  
“Her newfound friends are sprites of good character. It may not be easy, but she will be well cared for in Mainframe and she will find contentment there.”  
  
“I think you’re right,” Frank acknowledged. “You know,” he shuffled his foot slightly, “I’m not even worried about her. That group she left with… I know they won’t let anything happen to her. I’ve never seen such a feisty, protective entourage in my life. They look out for each other and she’s one of them now.”  
  
“Then there is another matter on your mind,” Linex reasoned. “Perhaps… another individual.”  
  
It wasn’t a question but Frank answered it anyway with a nod. “Yeah, Greg.” He sighed. “It still doesn’t seem right. I got careless and both of those kids got stupid. But I don’t think anyone can truly fault teenagers for being… teenagers. Thanks to everything that happened, I can’t even take my original niece and nephew home.”  
  
“This is why it is always important to have Back-Ups,” Qsa Linex quipped with an air of someone trying to be funny and failing. She glanced sharply at the floor for a moment, as though finding her own words (or the attempt at humor) a bit embarrassing. “Just know that it is not your fault that Greg was lost,” she finally amended. “Users may have created the systems, the Net, and everything that exists within. But you cannot predict the outcome of what may happen, nor can you control everything.”  
  
“Yeah, especially since you people have your own free will,” Frank nodded, “and sometimes your own agenda.”  
  
“I have no ‘agenda’. My purpose is, and will always remain, here.”  
  
“I was mainly referring to viruses, among others. But,” Frank shrugged sadly, “I guess that’s what we Users get when one of us makes something like a virus.”  
  
Qsa Linex was silent for a long moment. In the end, she did not acknowledge that train of thought again. Instead she asked, “Would it ease your mind if I could render assistance to the original Greg?”  
  
“Not just my mind. My conscience, too.”  
  
The Queen looked thoughtful. “Where are the young Users?” she asked.  
  
“I left them in their rooms… why?”  
  
“If you would bring Greg to me, I believe I may be able to send help to the original.” Qsa Linex’s wings gave a brief, shrill buzz in anticipation.  
  
“What? How?”  
  
“I will explain in a while. Please, bring him here.” Qsa Linex was already moving toward another area of the control room.  
  
Frank stared at her back for a long moment, puzzled. Then, figuring he had nothing left to lose at this point, he went to fetch his nephew.


	91. Chapter 91

By the time he returned with the kid in tow, Qsa Linex was already standing just inside the entrance, her upper set of arms folded across her torso. Her third arm hung casually as her side, and her fourth arm was tucked behind her back.  
  
Greg still looked nervous. Having spent some time within the Tower he no longer seemed as likely to jump at the sight of his own shadow, but he still wasn’t fully comfortable here.  
  
“So,” Frank prompted, “you said you might be able to help the… other Greg?” He grimaced. Frank didn’t like talking about the “originals” around their copies. It seemed like a weird, awkward subject all around.  
  
“Yes,” Qsa Linex nodded. “Come here, young User.”  
  
Greg looked up uncertainly at Frank. The boy didn’t move.  
  
“Go on, Greg,” Frank urged gently. He had no idea what Linex was up to, but he knew that she meant no harm.  
  
“Uncle Frank, these bug people scare me,” Greg whispered.  
  
Be glad you didn’t see some of the things the other Greg saw in Mainframe, Frank thought, almost wryly. “Greg, she’s not going to eat you. She just needs you to do something for her, I think.”  
  
“What if she bites me?” Greg asked. “One of the other bug-people bit me!”  
  
“Only because you keep entering places you shouldn’t,” Frank stated with a mild glare.  
  
There were some rare moments when Qsa Linex could somehow appear patient and impatient at the same time. The Queen was capable of giving off powerful vibes, perhaps due to the partial telepathic nature of the Hive’s natural communication method.  
  
“Let me see your arm, young User.” The Queen took a step closer and slowly held out one of her hands.  
  
Frank placed a gentle hand on Greg’s shoulder. The kid regarded him uncertainly for a moment, then slowly held out his arm toward the Queen.  
  
Qsa Linex grasped the boy’s wrist securely and pulled his arm straight. She was neither rough nor gentle, simply efficient. She then produced the arm she’d had behind her back; there was a small, familiar-looking device in her hand.  
  
Greg blinked uncertainly, though he remained still as Frank gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. Qsa Linex held the Keytool just over the boy’s outstretched arm, giving the device an indicative glance. It chirped a couple of times, then attached itself to Greg’s forearm.  
  
“Where did you get that?” Frank queried as Greg stared at the device on his arm.  
  
“It is a Back-Up copy of the Keytool that accompanies the original Starwell,” Qsa Linex answered without taking her gaze off of the present Keytool. “It is a User Keytool that is unjoined; this could prove useful.”  
  
A light flashed on the Keytool, indicating the exchange of Code. A few nanos passed, and then the Keytool chirped ecstatically.  
  
Just then, Qsa Linex snatched the Keytool away from Greg and released the boy’s arm; the Keytool squawked in protest.  
  
“What are you planning to do with that Keytool?” Frank asked the Queen. “Why did you give it to Greg?”  
  
“This Keytool now contains a portion of Greg’s unique Code,” Qsa Linex explained. “If this Keytool agrees, it might be able to seek out the original Greg and assist him.”  
  
The Keytool chirped and squawked. Greg’s eyes widened. “That thing is talking to me!” he exclaimed.  
  
Qsa Linex eyed the Keytool in her hand. She maintained a firm grip on it, but she squatted to Greg’s level and held it out in front of him. “Do not touch him,” she instructed the boy. “But you must convince him to seek out the other Greg, and assist him.”  
  
Greg licked his lips nervously. The Keytool chirped again. “Look, uh,” Greg said, “I don’t know what you are really. But I don’t think I need you.” The Keytool seemed offended, hurt. “I’m going home soon,” Greg went on. “I don’t think I can take you with me. You are kind of weird.”  
  
The Keytool seemed to process this.  
  
“Look, there’s another me out there somewhere,” Greg said. “He’s the one who really needs you. I don’t know what happened to him, but I do hope he’s okay. I think you should go find him.”  
  
[Another you? A copy?]  
  
Greg let out a breath. “I guess… he’s actually the original. He’s lost out there somewhere. I’m… here to replace him.” Greg scowled. It was disconcerting for anyone to know that they only existed because their predecessor couldn’t be found. He felt like an odd clone.  
  
Frank said nothing. He wished he could understand the odd sounds that the Keytool made, though he could guess what it was saying judging from the boy’s responses. Qsa simply continued to hold the boy’s wrist while keeping a secure grip on the Keytool, as though making sure neither would try to run off.  
  
[Finding the original may be difficult. I am joined to you, not the Other.]  
  
“Yeah, but you’ll be able to find him… won’t you?” Greg asked.  
  
[…It is possible.]  
  
“Then he’s the one who really needs you,” Greg repeated.  
  
There was a moment of silence as the Keytool processed this. [You are going Home, to the User World?] it finally asked.  
  
“Yeah, the sooner the better,” Greg acknowledged ruefully.  
  
[That is a place I cannot go. I will seek out the Other.] There was a pause. [Before I go, I need one thing from you.]  
  
“What?” Greg asked warily.  
  
[Give me a name.]  
  
Greg blinked. “A name?”  
  
[Yes… give me a name to refer to myself by.]  
  
“You really don’t have a name?”  
  
[I do not.]  
  
Greg mulled this over in his mind for a couple of nanos. Then he blurted the first thing that came to him. “Gadget?”  
  
The Keytool beeped positively, accepting and apparently liking the name. [Thank you. Have a good life outside the Net, my friend.]   
  
“Yeah, goodbye… Gadget.” Greg felt a mixture of awe and feeling just plain weirded out.  
  
Qsa Linex released the boy’s arm and rose to her full height. She gave the Keytool a meaningful look as she opened her fingers. Gadget rested in her palm for a moment longer, then it lifted into the air.  
  
Gadget regarded Greg for a nano, then it formed a small portal and vanished.  
  
“That is all we can do,” Qsa Linex stated.  
  
“Yeah, let’s just hope it’s enough somehow,” Frank murmured. “By the way,” he added as another thought came to him, “whatever happened to Anna Code? Haven’t heard much from her lately.”  
  
Now Qsa Linex looked thoughtful. “I know where the Guardian went,” the Queen replied. “I speak with Zettabyte once every few seconds, and Anna Code was mentioned.”  
  
“Oh yeah? Where’d she go?” Frank folded his arm. “I rather doubt that she’s given up on her hatred against Users.”  
  
The Queen sighed. “She has gone where none can be reached easily.”  
  
“And where is that?”  
  
Qsa Linex raised her head, touching the corner of her visor thoughtfully. There were moments like this when it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. She seemed to be regarding something only she could see--whether she could see it literally or could only see it in her mind, it was hard to tell.  
  
“The Web,” she finally said.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Flashback: Twelve Seconds Ago

Anna Code leaned against the wall as she stared at everything and nothing in Kat’s room. To a casual observant she might have seemed at ease even if her shoulders were rigid.  
  
In truth, she was quite tense.  
  
Eventually she stirred. She slowly crossed the room to the desk where the family portrait rested. Anna picked it up with gentle fingers, examining it. Then she put it back on the desk, picture-side-down. Goodbye, Kat. The Guardian turned and walked out of the room.  
  
Anna did a double-take when she nearly ran into Zettabyte, who stood just outside. The Guardian sighed. This was something she had hoped to avoid.  
  
“Where are you going?’ Zettabyte asked, straightforward.  
  
“I never said I was going anywhere,” Anna replied, attempting to move past her.  
  
Zettabyte’s long, slender fingers encircled the Guardian’s wrist, stopping her. “You have been silent for seconds,” the Command Dot Com told her. “I have seen you looking out at the Tower, yet you have not said a word. I have seen you perform your Guardian duties, but only the basics. You nearly ignored a tear in the city until the problem escalated. And now, you were just in your sister’s room--a place you haven’t been since you married George.”  
  
The muscles beneath Zettabyte’s fingers tightened considerably. The Guardian’s arm felt almost like solid steel.   
  
The Command Dot Com let go of Anna, in-taking a sharp breath. “Is this about George?” Zettabyte asked, moving around to face Anna squarely. Zettabyte studied her features for a long moment; she could see the anger there, the helpless… the pain.  
  
“Anna, talk to me,” Zettabyte urged, placing a hand on her shoulder. “This is just like you, closing yourself off from those who care for you the most.” When Anna tried to look away, Zettabyte cupped her chin and forced the Guardian to look at her. “I know you are hurting inside because of what happened to George.”  
  
Anna finally spoke. “He is lost out there somewhere. In the Web. Megabyte admitted as much.”  
  
Zettabyte nodded. “Anna, my Dear… I am so sorry.” She shifted her arms as if to take the younger sprite into her arms, but Anna resisted. The Guardian shook her head and backed away.  
  
“Oh, Anna…” Zettabyte’s features held an expression of sympathy and deep caring, even as her eyes held frustration. “Please, let me help you.”  
  
“You can’t do anything for me,” Anna said tersely. She closed her eyes briefly, then spoke in a softer tone. “There is something that I need to do… alone.”  
  
Zettabyte’s brow furrowed. “My child, I know how you feel about Users, and I know how you feel about the Tower and everything that it represents. But--”  
  
“Yes, you do know how I feel about it all,” Anna cut her off. “And that is another reason why I’m leaving the Net.”  
  
Whatever Zettabyte had been about to say was instantly forgotten as her processor came to a screeching halt. “You plan to leave the Net?” Her eyelids flickered repeatedly.

“Yes, and my mind is made up.” Anna’s eyes narrowed fractionally. “So do not try to stop me.”

“I do not understand. Where will you go?”  
  
“I’m going to the Web.”  
  
“Ah,” Zettabyte’s face softened with realization. “You plan to search for George.”  
  
“Yes. I think you will agree that that is a good enough reason.” She brushed past the older sprite, starting down the corridor.  
  
Zettabyte did not touch her, but she did call out to her. “Wait, Anna.”  
  
The Guardian sighed. “What is it?” She stopped, but did not turn.  
  
“If you are this adamant on going, then I cannot stop you,” Zettabyte sighed. “I know how much George means to you. But there is something I must know before you go.”  
  
Anna turned just enough to look at Zettabyte. “Alright.”  
  
“Is there another reason you wish to leave the Net?”  
  
Anna frowned. “What do you mean?”  
  
“It isn’t like you to simply abandon everyone you love, to leave everything you know.”  
  
“Isn’t it?” Anna glared. “After my parents were nullified, I left this System.”  
  
“You left to attend the Guardian Academy, and you had every intention of returning.” Zettabyte folded her arms. “Now you have no family left. Kat is gone, and so is George.”  
  
Anna turned away, clenching her fists at her sides. However, she did not walk away. “I became a Guardian to protect my system… and what friends and family I had left.”  
  
She sucked in a breath and turned to face her elder again. “You already know what happened. I couldn’t protect Kat, and now George is gone. I abandoned my system to go after a User…” She sighed. “I can see it now. I’m not cut out to be a Guardian.”  
  
“You have made mistakes, Anna. A lot of us have; it is how we learn and grow.”  
  
“I’ve done a lot of stupid things, Zettabyte. I can see that.” Anna sighed again. “I abandoned my system, I worked with a virus knowing full well he would backstab me in the end, and I put Mainframe in danger.”  
  
Zettabyte studied the Guardian for a long moment. “So you plan to exile yourself from the Net?”  
  
“It doesn’t matter where I go, Commander.” Anna’s tone had become very formal. “My Guardian Code will enable me to survive the Web. If George has found a way to survive…”  
  
“He will likely be degraded.”  
  
“Then I will stay there with him, once I find him.” Anna gave Zettabyte a meaningful look. “Up to this point I’ve always reacted to bad situations this way. When my home sector got nullified, I decided to become a Guardian. When a User entered the Net, I went after her. But in the end I’ve only delayed the inevitable.”  
  
“Do you wish to flee from your system because of that Tower?”   
  
“More Users can enter the Net any time, especially if they create new Towers in other systems. Zettabyte, I do not know what I will do if that happens… and if the Net is thrown into chaos, I do not wish to be here to see it.”  
  
“But Anna--”  
  
Now the Guardian took Zettabyte’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be fine,” Anna vowed. “You attend to matters here. I know you have a good rapport with Qsa Linex, even if I don’t like her. Maybe I can at least leave knowing you won’t let my system go completely to the Recycling Bin.”  
  
Zettabyte reached out again, attempting to embrace Anna. This time, the younger sprite permitted the hug. “I do not agree,” Zettabyte whispered into the Guardian’s hair. “But I think I understand.”  
  
Anna gave the grandmotherly sprite a squeeze. “I just need to be with George. Wherever he is and whatever has happened to him. And…” She pulled back and looked directly into Zettabyte’s eyes. “I will not stay here and see the Users disrupt the entire Net… more than they already have with viruses and games.”  
  
“You do not know what will happen,” Zettabyte pointed out.  
  
“No, I don’t… but I can take a good guess what might happen.” Anna backed away. “I’m going to the Web,” she repeated firmly. “Think of it as my way of choosing my own chaos. I can go there already knowing to expect the worst.”  
  
Zettabyte shook her head and gave a small, unamused laugh. “If you ever change your mind, and decide to return,” she said wistfully, “you know where we are.”  
  
Anna nodded. “Goodbye, Zettabyte.” She saluted. “Thanks for everything.”  
  
Zettabyte stood silently, her eyes locked onto Anna’s retreating form until the Guardian was out of sight.  
  
She has always been one for making difficult choices, the Command Dot Com thought to herself. Perhaps she will find what she seeks in the Web… as well as a better purpose.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

(BACK IN MAINFRAME)  
  
“WARNING. INCOMING GAME. WARNING: INCOMING GAME.”  
  
Starwell glanced up at the sky as it darkened. Her sky, the sky of her new home. A hole formed to allow a familiar purple Game Cube through, which then descended upon an occupied sector.  
  
The User-sprite looked from Bob to Matrix; they exchanged knowing looks.  
  
“It’s show time!” Starwell grinned.  
  
Matrix rolled his eyes and Bob shook his head. “Let’s do it,” Matrix said.  
  
Starwell practically giggled as she skipped alongside the other sprites. “Maybe it’ll be an adventure Game, or a first-person shooter.” She raised her fingers and thumbs in imitation of guns, making a popping noise through her lips to imitate the noise of bullets firing.  
  
“Take it easy, Pup,” Matrix told her.  
  
“No worries, Gizmo and I got this covered,” the girl grinned.  
  
“…That’s what I’m afraid of,” Matrix remarked, shaking his head slightly.  
  
“Come on, we’d better get moving before the Cube lands,” Bob urged them, and then they were off.

  
I am from beyond the Net.   
I go through Peoples, Cities, and Systems.   
To this place, Mainframe.   
My Format… I have no Format. I am a User, stranded in the Net.  
Mainframe is my Home now, with my new Friends… my new Family.


End file.
